The Change in the Heart
by vampirediva07
Summary: What happens when Brennan finally lets her guard down? Will Booth let her in? Set from 6x22 promo on.
1. The Decision

Booth walked around his apartment, checking the doors and securing the windows for any type of rifle that could be shot from surrounding buildings. Paranoia had set in after Jacob had taken out one of their own, so he was taking no chances. He would get this man once and for all, but for tonight, he had to bunker down and rethink his plan of action. He had to start thinking like a sniper again to get inside of Jacob's head, to find out what this man's plan was and finally get him. He had done enough damage and had to be stopped, regardless of if he thought he was doing right. Killing innocent people was not right in the least in Booth's mind. He knew that he had done a lot of wrong during his time as a Ranger, but he had made peace with those with God and righted wrongs through his FBI career as an agent. Never once had he gone rogue like this man had.

Going back to his living room, he saw Bones standing there in the middle of the room, still somewhat shell shocked from the events of the evening. He had never seen her like this before, with the exception of once or twice in the entire time they'd known one another as partners and friends.

Vincent Nigel Murray was gone, gunned down with a bullet that was meant for Booth instead as they were passing each other outside of the Jeffersonian. They had tried everything they knew how and the emergency team had done their best, but the bullet had just done too much damage for him to be saved. Booth had stayed by his side, just as he'd done overseas during his war time for fellow comrades who had been injured or were dying. The bullet had hit him in the chest, making it difficult for Vincent to breathe as it punctured his heart and left lung. Booth had seen this injury more than once during his time of deployment and knew that it was nearly impossible to revive someone from it, but he did not say that as the young man lay on the ground. Instead, he kept Vincent talking by asking him questions and letting him spout facts that he knew about little things related to what they were talking about. Booth still remembered every word of that conversation and probably would never forget it.

Looking at Bones, he drew a deep breath and tried to think of the words to say in this situation. They had lost one of their own and whether or not people realized it, that hit Bones a lot more than she led them to believe. He could see it in her eyes. There was pain and sorrow there from loss. Something that people failed to notice about her. She wasn't cold and aloof like people thought she was. Instead, she had a heart that beat just like everyone else's, only her emotions were a little more reserved because of what she'd gone through in her childhood. Booth knew that she was scared and so was he, which was the reason he had brought her over to his place to keep her safe. He didn't trust that Jacob wouldn't go after Bones to get to him. She was his partner.

"You should be safe here," he said, nodding a little bit, not really knowing what to say.

"I know Booth," she replied, taking a deep breath. "With everything that is happening, I feel as though this is the safest place to be. Even though I am perfectly capable of defending myself."

"Not against a sniper Bones," he said, shaking his head. "Especially one like Jacob. He has been trained to become invisible. You wouldn't even see him coming."

Bones nodded again. "Thank you Booth. For letting me stay the night here. I...I don't have any extra clothes to wear since we came straight from the hospital."

"I've got some sweatshirts and pants you could borrow," he offered, walking in his room to retrieve them. Holding them out to her, she took them and nodded.

Stepping aside, he let her go into his room to change, staying out in the living room to give her privacy. There weren't any windows in his room, so that didn't worry him as much as it would if she were in the living room. He waited patiently until she opened the door and stepped out. Even in his sweatshirt and sweat pants, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen before in his life. She had folded her clothes and laid them on the dresser. Booth cleared his throat and stood up, walking into the room and shutting the door behind them.

"We should be safer in here," he said. "I don't have windows in here, so we have a better chance of not being seen through a scope. You could sleep on my bed. I'll take the floor with a pallet."

"You don't have to...your back is bad," she said.

"I'll be alright Bones. I've slept on worse things before overseas and it didn't kill me."

Bones nodded, accepting his logic, and Booth was relieved she didn't argue with him. He walked over and sat on the bed, the weight of the world laying on his shoulders. Today had been absolute hell and now it was over. Yet it was just beginning because tomorrow the man hunt for Jacob would begin all over again. He wanted to bring this guy to justice once and for all, put him behind bars where he couldn't hunt down another human being again. Brennan came and sat next to him, silently just sitting there for a few moments.

After a few minutes, he looked up to see her eyes were full of tears. He had not seen Bones cry like this since that night in the car after the case about the doctor when she finally admitted that she had felt something for him and missed her chance. That night had hit him like a ton of bricks because he was with Hannah then and knew that in his heart, he still had feelings for Bones. She was the light in his life, the one woman he honestly couldn't live without, and she had picked _that_ moment to let her feelings come to the surface. After that and the Hannah drama, he had really begun to rely on his partner again like they had before. And seeing this vulnerability from her was earth shattering.

"Mr. Nigel Murray...is dead," she said between sobs as she tried to pull herself together. Booth could see that her attempts weren't working. "He walked right in front of the bullet. I could have kept him longer at the lab...and I told him to go home..."

"Bones, it isn't your fault," he said comfortingly. "It isn't your fault. Jacob is a man with a vendetta who will stop at nothing to make sure he gets what he wants. He is like the Gravedigger. The only motivation he has for doing this is the enjoyment he gets from holding someone else's life in his hands. Vincent Nigel Murray was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"But why?" Bones asked in exasperation. He had never seen her so emotional. "He was a bright young man with a future ahead of him, albeit he was a little exasperating at times, but he was intelligent and capable. How do things like this happen to good people?"

"I don't know Bones," he said, looking at her. "I don't know, but I do know that for every bad thing that happens, there is justice. That is why we do our jobs, so that there can be justice for those people."

Looking at her, he saw her nod before leaning into him without warning. Wrapping his arms around her, he fell back on the bed with her laying on his chest. Tears were soaking his shirt, but he didn't care. He held her as close as he could, stroking her back to calm her down. He kissed the top of her head lovingly, hoping it would make her feel better after all they had come through today. Losing an intern, feeling like neither of them could do anything to help it for now, and knowing that the man responsible was still out there, planning his next move. He felt Bones lift her head and look at him. Her beautiful, pristine blue eyes were brimming with tears still and she moved forward and kissed him without warning. Booth didn't resist though. He wasn't going to. All the anger he had felt for Hannah was gone and had been for a while now, replaced with the appreciation for what Bones had done for him afterward and the true feelings he had for her. And he knew that she wouldn't just do something like this without being ready for it herself.

Pulling back, she looked him in the eyes again hesitantly before leaning in to kiss him again. This was something Booth had been waiting for since that day they kissed and she turned him down. Booth tangled his hands into her hair and held her close, kissing her back with everything he had. All that they had come through today, this year, and in the past six years of their working and personal relationship was brewing to the surface. He had loved this woman right from the very beginning and always had, no matter what other relationships had come and gone between then and now. But none of them had ever compared to what he felt for Temperance Brennan. None. Even though she was his polar opposite, he loved her with every part of his heart, mind, body, and soul.

Their tongues tangled in a mess of emotion and passion as Booth moved his hand down her back. It was a small movement to say the least, but it meant so much to him because she didn't flinch or move away. Instead, she pressed herself closer to him and into the kiss they were involved in. When she pulled away, it was only momentary to lift the sweat shirt from her body and toss it to the end of the bed before returning to kiss him again. Her hands were slipping underneath his black t-shirt, pushing it up and over his head. He had been shirtless in front of her before. He'd even been naked in his bathtub, but this was different. It was intimate and private between them; not something that people would know about the way they'd known about Bones barging in on his bath or being stripped down because evidence had landed on his clothes. He was sure people would eventually know that he and Bones were...together, if they decided on a relationship. But for now, this was their time. Their moment.

Clothes forgotten, Booth found himself in bed with the most beautiful, talented, and amazing woman in the world. She was brilliant beyond belief and the one person he knew he could talk to about anything. Leaning down, he kissed her neck and traced his hands down her sides. This was something special to both of them that he would never forget. It wasn't a dream induced by a coma either. This was real. And there was nothing anyone could do to take this away from either of them.

Moving his hand down to her hip, Booth straddled Brennan and kissed her again. She was pretty insistent and growled into the kiss as their lips met frantically. Booth could feel his arousal growing as his abdomen slid against hers and their bodies made contact fully with one another. It was like the world completely stopped for that one moment and Booth felt alive. More so than he had ever before. The electricity that was between them was undeniable and almost seven years of sexual tension had been built up to create that spark which was now ignited. Seven long years of longing looks, late night conversations over Thai food, and almost sleeping together once during their very first case had rolled into one full blown moment of passion that they were now experiencing.

Without words, Booth slowly pressed into her and kissed her needfully. This was something they both needed right now; comfort, love, and stability from someone they trusted. Booth knew that this wouldn't be a one night thing either. It was a continuation of what they had started seven years ago as partners. Today, they became lovers. It was a progression of things in their lives that had been stalled for years, but was finally coming to fruition. He heard her moan softly and pulled back before pressing into her again. Their tongues tangled and he started a slow, but steady rhythm for them. Her legs trailed up his and wrapped around his waist, drawing him deeper as the thrust. He groaned and nipped at her lips before kissing down her neck slowly and teasingly. The moans escaping her throat were enough to send a man over the edge right then, but Booth held on. They were tensing together, but he could feel her going faster than himself, so he picked up the pace a little. He felt her tighten around him before releasing with a low moan and whimper of his name. A few more thrusts and he spilled into her with a growl and kissed her hard. It was probably the first time in months he'd had sex with anyone, but he was glad it was with her. He was glad for this moment together, even if it was in light of a tragedy. Life was too short and both he and Bones knew that now**.**

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><p><strong>AN: I think there might be one more chapter to this, but I haven't decided yet. Please review and let me know what you think! This is set from the promo of 6x22.  
><strong>


	2. Her Heart Change

Brennan walked into the Jeffersonian, feeling the weight of her world weighing on her own shoulders. It had been a few days since the shooting and everyone was still visibly shaken about the entire ordeal, but she was ready to get to work to help Booth catch the man responsible for the death of one of her interns. She stood on the platform as they delivered Vincent Nigel-Murray's remains to the Jeffersonian. Never would she have thought that an intern would be coming to work in a body bag, but here he was being brought in for examination. Booth wanted to know the type of bullet that had taken him out as well as how far it was from where Vincent was shot, so they were going to go through the usual work up they did on victims using their forensic knowledge to bring a case together against Jacob. She would be impartial to this case, just like she was to other cases before it. That was the promise she had made herself when she knew that they were bringing the body in.

She thought about the last few days as well. Because of the events of that night, she had not gone home without Booth with her and even then, it was just to grab a couple changes of clothes and what she needed to survive for a few days before going back to Booth's place. After that first night, they had not slept together again, other than actual sleeping. Every night she would curl in his arms and fall asleep, feeling safe for the first time in a long time. It was very unlike her, but in light of the situation, she knew that she couldn't keep holding herself back any longer. Life was too short. The intern lying on her examination table was living proof of that. He was barely in his twenties by a few years and already his life was ended, just like that.

When they opened the body bag, Brennan had to remind herself to remain impartial as she went through the initial examination. His body was still mostly intact, except for the gunshot wound to his chest. She had worked with bodies that still had flesh on them before, but none with recognizable faces they didn't have to identify. Her initial assessment was much shorter than most of the other victims they had done in previous cases, mostly because she already knew most of Vincent Nigel-Murray's information by memory. He was twenty-five, born and raised in the United Kingdom, and cause of death was a gunshot wound that perforated his heart and punctured his left lung. After doing the examination, she sent the body over to Cam so she could do the analysis of the tissues. Until Cam was done, Brennan had to wait for the bones to be cleaned so she could have a further investigation of the damage done to tell what kind of bullet and gun was used.

As she waited, she watched as everyone else around them worked. They had doubled security at the Jeffersonian, with trained snipers posted along the roof just in case. Everyone was on edge now, which was something even she noticed. Hodgins seemed antsy as he worked on the particulates from Mr. Nigel-Murray's clothing, keeping a close eye on Angela's office. She could understand why he was on edge though since Angela was his wife and she was pregnant with their child Until the shooter was brought to justice, everyone was going to be anxious and unsure of even stepping outside. Her own fears had really set in as well, but she was trying to remain calm and rational. Booth went with her to and from work and she felt safe with him, but when she was here on her own, she felt the anxiety that everyone else was feeling. Everyone was really suffering from this shocking loss.

When Cam was done, she sent Wendell to retrieve the body and instructed him to clean the bones off before she could further examine the body. She could see he was visibly upset by this request, but held in his own emotions to do as she asked. Brennan respected his ability to rationally put aside his feelings so they could get down to solving the murder, even though they already knew who was responsible. They would need the evidence against him to bring it to trial though, which is what they were doing now. It would take a few hours for the beetles to clean the bones off, so she moved to one of the exam rooms to think. Standing over the table, she looked at the x-rays that were on the screen from Mr. Nigel-Murray. He had a perfectly healthy skeleton, minus a small hairline fracture that she could see the remodeling from in his arm. A childhood injury. Mostly likely from falling off of his bike or skateboard. And then the damage done to his chest from the gunshot. Reality was setting in now. This man would never finish his doctorate work, never go on to be a forensic anthropologist, and would never walk into work again. That hit Brennan like a ton of bricks as she sat down to take it all in.

"Sweetie?" Angela's voice said from the doorway of the exam room. Brennan looked up at her very pregnant best friend. "Are you alright?"

Brennan nodded. "I'm fine," she said, standing up from the chair and moving to the exam table. "This is just a very stressful situation."

"I know," Angela said, walking over to her, holding her stomach with both hands. "Hodgins is scared to let me out of the house now because of...all that's going on."

"It's natural for him to feel that protective over you though, since he is going to be a father and you are his wife," she replied. "Anthropologically speaking, he has every right to feel that way."

"It's just very stressful for him to be on edge all the time like this...it's bad enough that he is this way about me going into labor at any moment, but this just sends him over the edge," Angela said, smoothing out the shirt she was wearing over her bulging stomach.

"Booth is very much the same way about me," she admitted, looking away from the x-rays to her best friend. "He rarely lets me out of his sight now that there is a real threat. I even stay over at his place."

"You do?" Angela interjected, stunned. "Since when?"

"Since the night Mr. Nigel-Murray was shot. Booth didn't want me to be alone in my apartment in case the sniper comes after me as a target to get to him," she explained.

"Oh..." she replied, nodding understandingly. "That makes sense if he is protecting you. It's like...Witness Protection, but without changing your identity."

Brennan nodded again, looking back at the x-rays. "It's been a very long week because of this case," she said, taking a deep breath. "Everyone is under a lot of stress. Myself included because of the personal nature of this case, even though I have tried to remain rational and distant for the sake of my work."

"Sometimes that isn't possible," Angela challenged, putting her hands on the exam table's edge. "Sometimes we have to let our emotions rule what we do to make something more meaningful, like catching the guy who did this to Vincent. That is why we do what we do."

"I have let this case effect me more than any other...even more than my mother's," Brennan said, looking at Angela with implied emotions of guilt and helplessness. She could only do so much with the evidence when they knew who had done this. Everything else was on catching the man responsible.

"Because he was your intern?" Angela asked.

"Yes. And because I let him walk out that door that night, right into his death," she said. "I could have kept him at the lab longer, but decided to finish up myself. Booth said it was not my fault, but the feeling of...guilt is still there."

"Bren, sweetie, Booth is right. This wasn't your fault at all. What happened was because some selfish bastard got trigger happy and decided that he was going to end someone's life. Everything else that happened was just...a weird, freaky twist of fate," she said comfortingly.

"You know I don't believe in fate," Brennan countered, using her age-old arguement about how fate didn't exist.

"Well things do happen for a reason, whether you believe that or not," she said, looking at her seriously. "So...you're staying with Booth. How is that?"

"The first night was very...I guess you'd say emotional. I broke down in front of him and _things_...happened," she said nonchalantly.

"What exactly happened?" Angela nudged.

"Booth comforted me. And we had sex," Brennan said.

"You did what?" Angela shrieked in reply, her eyes widening in surprise as much as shock. For as long as Brennan could remember, Angela had been urging her to be with Booth, so to see her in this state of shock was confusing at first. But she could understand where it was coming from as there had been no indication of any type of relationship beforehand from herself or Booth.

"Booth and I had sex. We engaged in it mutually," she explained clearly and rationally.

"Wow...just...wow. I never thought that would actually happen and now it did. Bren, do you realize what this means?" Angela asked.

"I am aware that having sex with Booth comes with certain expectations because he believes it bonds us emotionally and I have to say that while I am opposed to those kinds of relationships, I do not mind being in one with Booth." Brennan had come a long way in the six years she'd been partners with Booth. Relationships were fleeting in her mind, not permanent in any sort of way because humans were not meant to be monotonous. They were meant to select a mate to produce the healthiest children and when that task was done, move on to the next one. Men were meant to spread their seed around. That was what science told her. But her heart, at least the one Booth insisted existed that was not the muscle in the human body, told her that Booth was the person she was supposed to be with.

"Oh my god...I'm just...in awe. This is really happening. Are you guys...?" Angela trailed off, questioningly looking in Brennan's direction.

"As of now, no we are not. But we have yet to address that because of the situation that is happening right now with this case and with the investigation. I assume that he and I will have that conversation once this murder is brought to justice."

Angela nodded understandingly. "Well when you guys finally do sit down to talk about it, don't push him away again. Now that you guys have finally let your guards down, it will be even harder to break down the defenses again if you don't let him in."

"I know. And I told him before that I missed the signals from the universe...that I'd missed my chance," she replied. Brennan remembered that night in the rain clearly. How she had really let her walls down for the first time in her life to be emotional for someone. She hadn't wanted to live her life with regrets the way that the doctor in the photo had. Her life had ended too soon for her to really amend the things that she had messed up, but Brennan's hadn't. She was trying to mend those things and now it had finally come full circle.

"But sometimes we get a second chance to make things right," Angela said.

"I did. And we took that chance...life is too short, so I've realized," she said. Life was too short. Brennan knew that better than anyone with the amount of victims that came through the lab in the last six years. People who had their lives tragically cut short because someone decided to end it for some reason or another, whether that was greed or accidental. Brennan had lived her life as a recluse and she knew that, but she had come out of that cave when she started her partnership with Seeley Booth. A partnership that had shown her a whole new side of the world and human nature. And now, she wasn't going to look back.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you all SO much for the positive reviews on this story! I really enjoy hearing feedback for the chapters I write, so if you could just drop me a little review, it would make my day!**


	3. New Life

_Pregnant_

That was something that Temperance Brennan had not seen coming. She had known that it was a possibility, since she and Booth had slept together unprotected in the first place, but it still didn't soften the shock of the reality that she was carrying his child. In retrospect, she knew that sleeping together without protection was the product of her emotional insecurity after Vicent Nigel-Murray's death, but now she held no regrets about it whatsoever. Two years before, she'd asked Booth to father her child through sperm donation. But now that she was pregnant and recognized her feelings toward Booth, she was glad that she had conceived their child naturally. Booth would say that the child was made out of love, although she would disagree and insist sexual intercourse was the reason she was pregnant, she understood his logic. The thought of that conversation made her smile a little because they were so opposite, yet worked somehow.

Telling Booth that she was pregnant was the most nerve wracking experience she'd ever had in her life, even more so than taking a pregnancy test. And she wasn't usually one to get nervous about anything in her life. After Angela had given birth to Michael and she had seen how happy her closest friend was, she knew that her own life would be changing. Even if she and Booth did not work out, he deserved to know because he wanted to be there and involved in the child's life, which she both respected and wanted as well. However, his reaction of surprise and excitement relieved her fears a little. They spent the next few hours talking about what to do and agreed that they wanted the baby, but weren't sure about much else just yet, including living arrangements. They agreed to discuss it at a later date, when they had both had more time to process and digest the pregnancy news.

Four long weeks passed and the day for their first ultrasound arrived. Booth had stayed the night to go with her to the appointment, which they were both anxious and excited about. They had shared her bed the previous night since she saw no sense in him sleeping on her couch. She was already pregnant, so there was no worrying about that consequence. It was nice to share a bed with someone that kept her warm. Booth was always warm, which was something that she really appreciated about him. He allowed her to snuggle to his chest while she slept, which she didn't even realize she did until she woke up in his arms, smiling at the thought of being held so close by someone she obviously loved. Love was something she had never really experienced in this way before, so it was new, exciting, and a little different for her, but Booth was taking things at her pace. He was caring in a way that no one had ever shown her before, which was another reason she felt for him the way she did.

They both dressed and left her apartment around seven-fifteen since her appointment was at eight that morning. The car ride over was mostly silent as she was wrapped in her thoughts, absorbing this experience. No one, aside from Booth, knew that she was pregnant yet. There was a high risk of miscarriage during the first trimester, so she wanted to wait until she felt that it was safe to tell anyone else about the pregnancy. She knew that Angela would be beyond excited and animated that she was pregnant and Booth was the father. How everyone else would react was yet to be determined, but she could probably guess that they would all be happy and relieved that this was finally happening since they all seemed in favor of her and Booth being together. They had all come together for the birth of Angela and Hodgins' son, so she could only imagine what it would be like when she and Booth's child was born. Having a child would change the dynamic of their work place, but Brennan had been preparing for that since she found out she was pregnant the morning Angela had gone into labor.

She remembered that day as vividly as it had just happened. When she'd gotten up that morning, she went to the bathroom to wash her face and started thinking about that night with Booth. As she thought about it, she realized that they had not used protection during their night together and knew that pregnancy was a distinct possibility for their future. After adding up the days in her head and realizing that she could be pregnant, she immediately had gone to the corner drug store and bought a pregnancy test. When she returned home, she took it according to the instructions and waited for the outcome for five minutes. Taking deep breaths, she checked the test when the timer went off. The digital read out was very clear. _Pregnant_ was very clearly written across the test. In that moment, Brennan's entire world shifted as she realized that she was carrying another life. But she was oddly happy about it...joyful even because she had wanted a child. It had been something on her mind a lot more since Angela had gotten pregnant and it was finally happening to her.

When they arrived at the doctor's office, she checked herself in before sitting down in the waiting area. Booth situated himself next to her in the available chair, looking around at the pictures of pregnancy while Brennan looked at the other women waiting to be called back. While she had been to this office many times before since her gynecologist happened to be an obstetrician as well, it was a different experience to actually be pregnant and waiting in the office to be seen. She felt a sense of camaraderie with the other women waiting to be seen. Anthropologically speaking, she knew that in other cultures, women who were all pregnant together bonded in little communities to help each other through the process of pregnancy, birth, and even after in raising their children together. It was something new to Brennan and she knew that the other women could probably tell she was a little uncomfortable in this setting.

"You okay Bones?" she heard Booth ask, his voice hinting with concern. "Still got some of that morning sickness?"

"No. I'm fine Booth," she reassured him. "The nausea is not all that unbearable this morning and I've got some crackers in my bag."

Booth nodded. "This must be a different experience for you then, huh?"

Damn he was intuitive, but then again Brennan had known that about him for years. He wasn't a special agent with the FBI for no reason. Hiding anything around him was pretty much useless and had been. He'd even known her passwords to gain access to things at the Jeffersonian, even though she'd changed it from her favorite flower to planet to animal at least a hundred times. But somehow, he just knew every single time what her password was without her even hinting at it.

"Yes, it is different because I've never been pregnant before, but I have been to this doctor many times before now. She is one of the best in the country and has been my personal physician since I started working at the Jeffersonian."

"Are you nervous?" Looking at his deep brown eyes, she could see that he was trying to make her feel better and she couldn't help but appreciate his efforts. He was doing the best he could.

"I will admit that I am a little nervous," she said, looking at him. "Having a child changes your whole life, but I find that I am most worried right now that there will be something wrong on the ultrasound."

"Everything is gonna be fine Bones," he said softly. "Because you've been taking good care of yourself and you haven't had anything go wrong that we've seen. That's gotta be a good sign right?"

She nodded slowly. "I would assume so since I have had no pain or bleeding. The pregnancy is hopefully healthy and normal."

Booth nodded as the nurse came out and called Brennan's name to bring them back to the exam room. Once inside, Brennan was given a gown to change into and told that the doctor would be right with them. After changing into the hospital gown, she laid on the exam table and waited for the doctor to come in. She knew that the first ultrasound couldn't be done through the abdomen because her pregnancy was still in its earliest stages, so it would be done vaginally. She prayed Booth wouldn't become too uncomfortable with that fact, but suspected that he wouldn't say anything even if he was.

She absentmindedly reached for his hand as the doctor came in, greeting them both. It was warm and comforting, much like Booth was himself. She was glad that he had come to this appointment and wanted him to come to all her appointments afterward, not only to be involved with the child, but to be there for her even if she didn't want to admit it out loud that she loved him yet. As they listened to what the procedure was going to entail, Brennan nodded and prepared herself as the doctor got the ultrasound wand ready and inserted it carefully to view her uterus and the fetus growing inside of her. Brennan shifted uncomfortably for a moment until things were okay again and looked as the screen came on.

"If you'll look right here, you'll see the amniotic sac and inside of that is your baby," Dr. Briggs said, pointing on the screen to a small sac shaped bean with a small shadow inside that looked like a little peanut. It was almost impossible to see, but Brennan saw it. And it was incredibly beautiful.

"Wow...that is our baby," Booth said, staring at the screen in awe. "Tiny little thing...a little peanut."

Brennan couldn't help but smile at Booth's comment, knowing that there was no logic in calling their child a peanut, but she loved it at the same time. It was a term of endearment, much like Bones was. Her eyes were transfixed on the screen as she looked at the baby. She could tell that everything was fine from how it looked, but she waited to hear that confirmation from the doctor before she would believe it. Her eyes welled up with tears as Dr. Briggs turned on the sound and she heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time. She never expected to be this emotional, but it was hitting her all at once and she knew that some of it was her hormones and she would blame that.

"Everything looks great so far Temperance," Dr. Briggs said as she took a few photos for them from the ultrasound and pulled the wand out. "Your baby is right around eight weeks gestation and is growing right where he or she should be."

A wave of relief washed over Brennan. The baby was okay. It was confirmed by the doctor that the pregnancy was healthy and they had picture proof to show Angela when she didn't believe that she was actually pregnant. It was really setting in now that she was going to be a mother in a few months and Booth was the father.

After writing a prescription for anti-nausea medication along with some prenatal vitamins, Dr. Briggs told Brennan about the next appointment in a few weeks and to set it up at the front desk before stepping out to see her next patient, allowing Brennan to get dressed. As she dressed herself and looked at Booth, she smiled a little. They were having a baby...this was all real and things were really happening. Once she was dressed, they got the slip for her next appointment in four weeks before going out to the truck to go to work, much happier and relieved than when they woke up that morning.

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><p><strong>AN: I am SO sorry about the lack of updates! But I have this chapter and another written that I will be posting in a few days! Thank you sooo much for the positive response to this story so far. Please leave me a review to let me know what you think!**


	4. Telling Angela

In the week that followed the ultrasound, Brennan felt happier than she had in a long time. She and Booth kept on going about their business lives at work, but their personal lives were changing slowly but surely. Booth came over a few nights in a row and they had dinner together before he stayed over for the night. Even though they didn't get intimate in bed, Brennan felt close to him and genuinely enjoyed his company. They watched a hockey game on television and he attempted to explain the rules of the game to her unsuccessfully. She also tried to teach him the bones in the hand, which he was able to catch on to at least a few. Being with him felt normal in a sense, almost like they had been together forever. While she knew that it wasn't logical to think that way, it still felt nice to have a normal life.

By the end of that week, Booth had all but moved in with her, though neither of them had really brought it up in conversation. Brennan didn't mind though, and really liked having him around because she felt comfortable with him there. It felt like they were living together and she hadn't lived with anyone in years. Not since Pete and that felt like a century ago, when it had only been about six or seven years. But having Booth around felt like a transition that had been happening for the last six years of her life. Being partners had lowered her self-defenses toward Booth and she was able to find the strength to be with him after years of imperviousness. He had really changed her for the better and she knew that.

Walking into work one morning, she was surprised to see Angela there with Michael visiting. Angela was still technically on maternity leave, but she liked to stop by to visit and see everyone while bringing Michael by so they could see how much he'd grown as well. Smiling, she walked over and hugged her best friend.

"Hey!" she said excitedly. "I didn't know you were coming by today."

"Yeah, we decided this morning after I got Michael dressed to come see everyone. Hodgins was dying to show him off again to everyone at the Jeffersonian who hadn't seen him yet," Angela replied, laughing and leaning down to unbuckle her son from his car seat. Lifting him out, she cradled him in her arms and turned to Brennan again.

"He's grown since the last time you brought him up here," she said, reaching over and touching the baby boy's hand.

"Oh he's grown alright," Angela laughed, shifting her weight slightly. "His pediatrician says he's healthy and growing just right."

Brennan smiled. She knew that she hoped her own child would be healthy and grow just right when he or she arrived in a few months. She'd already started modifying her diet and added the prenatal vitamins her doctor prescribed for her. Her maternal instincts were already kicking in every now and then, especially when there was a child in the room or nearby. It wasn't something she was used to yet, but it was definitely different than before. Even Booth had noticed how attune she was to small children.

"May I?" she asked, nodding to Michael.

"Of course sweetie!" Angela chirped and gently passed the baby over to Brennan. "He loves his Auntie Temperance."

Taking him in her arms, she smiled and cradled him close. He was much lighter than she expected, but fit perfectly in her arms. She had very little experience with newborn infants, but found that holding one wasn't as scary as she once thought it would be. Smiling as she held him, Brennan looked up at Angela and knew she had to tell her friend about her own pregnancy. Keeping that secret any longer wasn't an option.

"Ange," she said, swaying a little to keep Michael calm and happy. "I'm pregnant."

Angela stared at Brennan, completely wide-eyed and mouth agape. She had seen that exact same look before when she admitted to climbing into bed with Booth and sleeping with him. A few seconds later, a smile flashed across Angela's face and Brennan knew that she was excited about the news.

"Is Booth..." she asked after a moment, confirming what she probably already knew.

Brennan nodded with an impish grin, exposing her own excitement about the situation, making Angela clasp her hands excitedly.

"Oh my god sweetie!" Angeal squealed. "How far along are you?"

"About nine weeks now," she answered, smiling warmly. "Our first ultrasound was last week."

"That is so exciting! Does Booth know everything...about the baby and that it's his?"

"Of course. I told him the day you gave birth to Michael that I was pregnant and that he is the father," she said. "He was surprised, but happy nonetheless."

"I'm sure he was. Sweetie, the man worships the ground you walk on and has been in love with you for years," Angela said, smirking like she'd known it all along. "He wanted to be the father of your baby years ago."

Brennan smiled knowingly, remembering when she'd asked him to be a sperm donor for her. She had chosen him not only because he had a bigger mandible and a more prominent zygomatic, but because he had qualities in his personality that she wanted her child to have, like loyalty and a sense of right and wrong. Even after she told him that he wouldn't be involved with the baby, he proved her theory of what a good man he was. He had said that he had to be involved with the baby if he was the father. Now he definitely was and she was completely happy about it being this way.

"Booth and I were keeping it to ourselves for the time being because the first trimester is the most dangerous time for any pregnancy, healthy or not," she went on. "You're the first person I have told besides Booth."

"I'm honored you told me and I won't tell anyone until you and Booth decide to let people know about that little bundle of joy," Angela promised, hugging Brennan carefully.

"Thank you Angela," she said. "I know that this will chang things here, but I find that the change in my life is something I am quite excited about."

"A baby is definitely something to be happy about. I know Hodgins and I were so excited about our pregnancy when we found out, so you and Booth definitely should be too."

A smile passed over Brennan's lips as she brushed her hand over Michael's little fingers. She began to wonder what her and Booth's child would look like. Genetics would probably favor Booth's darker hair and eyes, but she wouldn't mind that at all because they were two features she happened to love about Booth most, especially his eyes. A baby boy or girl with Booth's warm features was something she could definitely see. Michael took more of his mother's features because her genes were more dominant than Hodgins'. However, she knew that there was a small chance that their child could have her blue eyes, but that was entirely up to genetics and chance.

"So are you and Booth official?" Angela asked, changing the topic a little to something different.

Looking up at Angela, she honestly didn't know the answer to that question. She and Booth had not really talked about what they were at all in the last couple weeks. In fact, they had really avoided that question for the longest time because neither of them wanted to be the first to bring it up.

"I...I'm not really sure." she said bluntly, biting her lower lip once. "We haven't really addressed that topic directly since finding out I was pregnant."

"Oh...but are you staying with him. Or..?"

"He has been staying with me more often. But we haven't talked about officially moving in either way." Brennan knew that they would have to have that conversation sooner rather than later, especially as her pregnancy progressed and people knew that they were having a baby together. Word would get around fast once they decided to reveal the news to everyone else at work.

Angela nodded understandingly. "Take your time. And most of all, enjoy time with Booth because your baby will be here before you know it. And when he or she arrives, alone time will be hard to come by."

"Thanks Ange," she said, taking a deep breath of relief. Telling one more person about her and Booth's child was easier than she thought. But the real worry and challenge would be telling Cam, the FBI, and most of all, her father. Max Keenan might have been a nice man otherwise, but mess with his little girl and there would be hell to pay. And Brennan didn't want to lose the father of her child before the baby even came into the world.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you all SO much for the positive reviews of this story so far. Please leave me more reviews and let me know what you think!**


	5. The Psychologist's Surprise

Telling Angela about her pregnancy had been one of the easiest things Brennan had done so far since finding out she was pregnant. Her best friend was easily accepting about her and Booth having a child together, but then again Angela had been telling her for years that she and Booth should be together. That was no secret between them and she had been more than enthusiastic when she admitted to climbing into bed with Booth. Angela had known long ago that there was something there between them, but Brennan would never admit to anything other than partners until recently. Angela would have said that there was something there years ago when she and Booth kissed under the mistletoe at Christmas, but that had been part of a bargain with Caroline for Christmas with her father and brother in prison. However, she kept it secret that it definitely wasn't like kissing her brother. In fact, it was absolutely nothing like it. There was a spark she felt, like a jolt inside of herself that drew her closer to him. No one else understood it but them.

A few days after telling Angela about her pregnancy, she and Booth decided it was time to tell Sweets. As she sat outside of his office, she thought of how shocked their psychologist was going to be when they revealed that she was not only pregnant, but that Booth was the father and that they'd slept together. Though she never put much stock into Psychology to begin with, she knew that he would immediately start analyzing the situation and probably be thrown into a state of stupor. It almost made her laugh to think about the situation and how amusing it would be to watch him squirm in his chair about what had happened.

"You think Sweets will flip his lid when we tell him?" Booth asked, interrupting her musings and bringing her back to reality.

Looking at him, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "I don't know what that means, but yes I think he will certainly be surprised when we tell him."

Booth laughed. "Kid's probably going to fall out of his chair with a heart attack."

A smile corssed her lips at that thought. Sweets did have a way of freaking out when they told him something big or important, like when they revealed that their real first case they had worked on together was actually a full year before Sweets thought. Also that they had kissed while working on that case together. He just about jumped out of his chair and said that it changed everything. In some ways, it did. But it just took six years and a lot of change for Brennan personally to get to this point. Her imperviousness was all but gone, replaced by the strength she'd learned to build from Booth. They had gone through a lot together and he'd saved her life more times than she could count, done things for her that weren't exactly legal, and given her friendship when most people avoided her because of her lack of social skills.

"Just be sure he doesn't hit his head if he does faint," she replied, giving Booth a small but definite grin. "I don't want to have to take him to the emergency room if that happens. People would start asking questions and we haven't told everyone else yet."

Sweets called them in a few minutes later, shutting the door behind them for privacy during their session. Brennan took her usual seat on the couch while Booth took his so nothing looked suspicious to Sweets. When they were settled, she looked at Sweets to start the session since he usually did that most of the time anyways. He was always eager to get things started because they were sort of his "pet project" for research about partner dynamics. Though she didn't like Psychology, she respected Dr. Sweets for his ability to help out on cases like the Gormogon case and the Gravedigger where a profiler was needed to predict the killer's next move. In the last three years, she'd come to really like him as a person and they adopted him into their team...affectionately as their "baby duck". Booth's therapist had mentioned that Sweets attached to them because he didn't have parents and Brennan inferred that he imprinted like a duck, which kind of stuck as their term of endearment for him.

"So, what shall we talk about today?" Sweets asked in his usual perky manner. Brennan had always noticed he was in a generally good moon, which was odd since most people were not as cheerful in therapy.

"What about that word association game thing?" Booth suggested, looking at Brennan to follow his lead. She knew that look all too well since he'd given it to her time and again when they were doing something important.

"Alright, word association. Good thinking Agent Booth. I'll start off since we've all gone through some pretty changing things in the last couple weeks. Death."

Brennan looked at Booth to go before her and he luckily caught on to what she wanted quickly.

"Life."

"Birth." Brennan knew where they were going with this conversation and just how to get there.

Booth smiled. "Baby."

"Father." Knowing that Booth was going to be the father of her child made her feel happier inside than she'd ever felt before. She couldn't explain it in words or with science, but the feeling was there.

"Mother."

Brennan could see the confused look on Sweets' face and kept going. "Happy."

"Joyful."

"I'm pregnant." After setting off the bomb, Brennan looked directly at Booth with a smile, proud of their little game and how successful it had been in achieving their goal.

As predicted, Sweets came flying off of his chair with wide eyes and complete shock written all across his face. There were several moments of silence, other than Sweets' occasional stutter of incoherent sounds that sounded more like a child babbling than actual words. She couldn't help but giggle a little and cover her mouth as Sweets tried to recover from his state of almost hysteria. She knew that if he reacted like this, she could only begin to imagine everyone else, except Caroline. But Caroline would say it was about time and laugh.

"Told you he'd flip," Booth said, smirking and chuckling.

"You're...you...pregnant?" Sweets finally managed to say in somewhat of a full sentence.

Brennan nodded and added, "And Booth is the father."

"Bones don't kill the man!" Booth laughed as Sweets staggered before sinking back into his chair.

"Who said anything about killing him?" Brennan asked in reply. "I was simply laying out all the facts for him since he didn't know."

"You are pregnant...and Agent Booth is the father?" Sweets asked, looking directly at the two of them.

Brennan acknowledged his statement with a nod.

"Did you go through with the artificial insemination like you had planned over two years ago before Booth had his surgery?"

Remembering back to the time she had asked Booth to be the father of her baby, she would have gone through with that procedure then and had a child that way. She had wanted a child and wanted Booth to be the father because he was the best person she knew, but his surgery had interrupted everything and she dropped the matter to take care of her partner when he was down. However, time could change a lot of things and it certainly had changed Temperance Brennan.

She shook her head at Sweets' question about the insemination, causing his eyes to widen again in surprise. "You and Agent Booth...slept together?"

"Just after Mr. Nigel-Murray was killed," she replied bluntly. "I'm just over nine weeks pregnant."

"Are you two together?" Sweets was always asking that same question and had been for nearly four years since they first started seeing him through the FBI, but they had always answered with a firm no. Now there were blurred lines and grey areas that she wasn't sure about.

"It's not a conversation that we haven't had yet," Booth answered.

"You two do realize that this changes everything about your dynamic as partners. I told you it would break a dam if you two were even to kiss...and you already did..." Sweets seemed to be backtracking in his thoughts. "Does anyone else know about it yet?"

"I told Angela, but otherwise no," Brennan said. "We wanted to wait to tell people until we knew for sure my pregnancy was safe and that nothing was going to happen."

"And what about the FBI severing your partnership? Relationships are not allowed within the FBI workplace, including liaisons," Sweets went on. Brennan had expected this inquiry from the beginning and came ready with answers. She knew Booth had as well. Neither of them were the kind of people to come unprepared to something like this.

"You work for the FBI don't you Sweets?" Booth asked, scratching his jaw as if he were in thought. He'd done that for the longest time and Brennan had picked up on it early in their partnership.

"Yeah."

"And you dated someone that worked at the Jeffersonian, correct?" Booth went on. A smile crept across Brennan's face when she realized where this was going. He was good.

"Yeah, April...and Daisy...what does that matter?" Sweets seemed a little confused by the questions Booth was asking.

"Exactly. Let me ask you this...do you really think that they would dissolve a partnership where there have been more murders solved in the last six years than in the previous twenty before it?" Booth smiled at Sweets like he knew he had a point.

"You may be right there Agent Booth, but there are still rules...and regulations to this type of thing," Sweets said, defending his point of view.

"Yeah, but see...I've got a little more pull in the FBI than you think. And Hacker knows that Bones won't work well with any other agent besides me. We're a _team_ and come as a package deal. Everyone knows that."

Brennan smiled as she knew that Sweets couldn't refute that. And just like that, the argument was dropped for the time being. But she knew that they would have to tell Booth's bosses and her own at the Jeffersonian. Her pregnancy would become quickly obvious if they waited much longer. But she was happy that they were telling people slowly instead of all at once. She didn't know how she would deal if everyone knew all at once. Her pregnancy hormones were all over the place lately and she honestly didn't know what she was feeling. It was all a jumbled mix of fear, happiness, uncertainty, and mostly joy. But she knew that with Booth at her side, she could handle everything.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you all so much for the positive review of this story! Please keep sending me reviews to let me know what you think of this story!**


	6. Take Good Care of Her Seeley

In the days that followed revealing her pregnancy to Dr. Sweets, Temperance Brennan had felt worse than she ever had before. Morning sickness had really begun to take hold of her and bring her down from her usual self. But it was not the smell of rotting corpses that set her off at all ironically. It was the smell of food or strong perfumes like the one Cam wore sometimes that sent her running for the bathroom. At ten weeks pregnant, she was hoping that once she hit her second trimester around thirteen weeks, she would be free of this horrid sensation and the vomiting that usually followed close after. She hated the feeling of being sick and worse than that, the constant nausea that kept her feeling like she was going to vomit all the time. Angela had suggested saltine crackers and ginger ale, which seemed to bring it down a couple of notches, but not enough to keep her from making frequent trips to the bathroom almost every day at work for five days in a row. Thankfully, Cam accepted her explanation that she just was not feeling well without too much inquiry, but she knew that she needed to tell her boss the truth.

One such morning, she and Booth came into the lab at the same time, intending to tell Cam about the pregnancy. The FBI knew already since Booth was honest and forthcoming with the information to them, getting Sweets to say that he would continue evaluating them as partners throughout the pregnancy and after so they could continue to be partners. Hacker was resistant to the idea at first, but Booth persuaded him by saying that there was no other team in the United States that had such a high rate of crimes solved as they did in the last six years working together. After that explanation, Hacker didn't need much more convincing since his own job was on the line too if they didn't maintain a certain level of achievement at the Bureau. Booth was the best agent they had for the field and everyone knew that. His military training gave him particular skills that most other field agents didn't have, like an acute awareness of his surroundings, which came in handy at crime scenes and when investigating suspects. With that on their side, she and Booth were allowed to remain partners under the supervision of Dr. Sweets. While she didn't like being "supervised" like a child, she was just glad that she and Booth got to still work together.

As they walked into Cam's office, they shut the door behind them for privacy. The only other person at the Jeffersonian that knew about the pregnancy was Angela and they wanted to keep it that way for the time being. Unfortunately, their timing was a little off and Caroline Julian happened to be in Cam's office at the same time, presenting some more evidence for them from the current case they were working on. There was an awkward moment before she looked at Booth and they mutually decided to tell both of them without even saying a word to one another. Cam and Caroline looked equally confused as to why Booth and Brennan were in the office at the same time and had shut the door, but neither said a word as they were waiting to see what was going on.

"We have something to tell you," Brennan said, starting the conversation and breaking the awkward silence ice.

"Okay, is it relevant to the case we're working on Dr. Brennan?" Cam asked, sitting down at her desk. Sitting was probably a good thing at this point. People seemed to be so shocked when they told them that sitting down probably prevented the fainting and falling. Though she doubted that Cam would be one to faint.

"No," she replied, looking to Booth. "It has nothing to do with the case at all. This is more of a personal matter."

"Bones and I felt that you deserved to know personally, as well as you Caroline," Booth added, looking to their assistant district attorney that they were frequently working with and had come to love and respect as family.

"Well out with it cherie," Caroline urged, taking her seat as well, interested as to where this conversation was going. "We don't have all day and we have a murderer to catch."

"Booth and I are having a child together, I'm pregnant," she finally said. Quick and to the point was always the easiest way of giving news to someone that they either didn't want to hear or were going to panic over.

"Whoa...are you two serious?" Cam asked, looking from Booth to Brennan and back to Booth, trying to read them to see if they were joking.

Brennan shook her head. "I'm ten weeks pregnant and Booth is the father," she replied with Booth nodding in agreement with her.

"Well it's about damn time!" Caroline said, slapping her hands on the arm rests of her chair with a bright grin on her face like she'd known all along that something was up. Then again, Caroline had been the one nudging them toward each other starting with that kiss on Christmas nearly four years ago. Since then, she'd given more than one knowing look that always confused Brennan.

"Are you two...an item?" Cam asked, still looking at them in awe.

"We're still sorting all of that out Cam," Booth said, much in the same way he had with Sweets. Neither of them were really sure what they were besides practically living together and having a child together from one night of passion that had yet to repeat itself. Brennan wondered silently to herself if she and Booth would ever have that conversation and decided that they would. That night.

Cam nodded, understanding where they were coming from before rising from her seat behind her desk. She had been more patient and understanding with Brennan since their initial cold meeting five years previously when Cam took over the position at the Jeffersonian from Dr. Goodman. Brennan respected her as an equal and the best at her field of Pathology, just as Cam respected her for being the best Forensic Anthropologist in the world. Coming around front, she pulled Booth in for a hug, which he returned before turning to face Brennan.

"I'm very happy for both of you," she said, smiling. "And now it definitely makes sense why you've been running to the bathroom all during work for the past couple days. Definitely not a stomach virus."

Brennan shook her head with a smile. "Morning sickness. I find that it isn't the smell of decomposing bodies that triggers it for me...it's certain scents like food or perfume...like the one you wear sometimes. Also the air freshener they keep near the platform. Something about the tropical scent sets me off."

Cam laughed. "I'll switch my perfume until you're past the morning sickness phase and we'll see what we can do about the air freshener. Until then, take it easy Dr. Brennan. I understand you not wanting to slow down because you're pregnant, but every now and then you need to take a breather and rest."

"I will do my best. And I will continue to go into the field with Booth so long as my doctor says it's safe for myself and my unborn child," she said, nodding with absolution about her decision. No one really argued with her, except for Booth, but that was discussions they saved for when they were in the privacy of his SUV or at home in her apartment.

"So long as the doctor says it's safe, I'm on board," Cam said in reply, nodding her head and picking up the files on the newest case they had acquired. "Congratulations you two, if I didn't say it before."

"Yeah, I agree with what she said cherie," Caroline piped in, smirking. "I was beginning to wonder if you two were just gonna dance around your obvious...whatever it is you have going on there. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some big fish to fry at the Federal Building."

With that, Caroline left the room. Brennan furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at Caroline's last comment about fish to fry, but figured it was another colloquial term she'd never understand. She figured she'd ask Booth about it later and he'd explain it to her, much as he explained everything else to her that she didn't understand in the social world. Even though she still didn't get some social norms, she had come a long way in the last six years since she and Booth became partners. As she and Booth walked out of Cam's office, she heard Cam stop Booth for a moment and waited outside.

"Seeley, take good care of her," Cam said. "She trusts you more than she trusts anyone else."

"I know Camille. And I will," he vowed.

Brennan heard their little exchange and smiled to herself. She did trust Booth more than she had ever trusted anyone else, even more so than Angela. Booth had saved her life, taken a bullet for her, and shown her the outside world in ways that only a partner could. He'd taught her to be more observant of people's feelings and emotions, especially when they were dealing with difficult cases and victims' families. Booth had carefully brought her out of her protective shell and taught her that it was possible to love one person, even if she hadn't believed in love in the first place. She would never forget that he once told her that you could love a lot of people, but there was always one person that you loved most. That was an irrational thought, but she somehow made sense of it. Her one constant in the last six years had been him. No one had ever really stuck by her side the way he had and she never wanted that to change. As Booth came out, she smiled and they headed off to work for the day, with her planning their conversation for that night.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you ALL for so much positive reviews on this story! I hope you're enjoying it. Please let me know what you think in the reviews since they really do help my writing skill develop. I love you all so much! **


	7. Imperviousness Gone

Work came and went as usual, which was comforting to Brennan who relied on that rhythm in her life to keep her sane. People called her a workaholic, but that didn't matter to her because she enjoyed her work and the comfort she got from being where she felt best at every day. She had a newer intern that had come in after Vincent Nigel-Murray died and had been there for a little over two months. The intern was named Cassidy James and was one of the most brilliant students Brennan had taught since Zack. Brennan was impressed with her work and professionalism as well. She was also kind and apparently outgoing as the rest of the team took to her quickly and liked her, but Brennan was slow to warm up because she'd lost two of her best interns in the last six years. Zack was still at the psychiatric institution and Vincent was dead. She wasn't exactly open to warming up to a new intern just to lose them again in some way or another.

After work, Booth came by to pick her up as usual. They went to dinner at the diner because she didn't feel up to cooking anything and her nausea wasn't helping much. When they got there, she ordered some simple soup while Booth got his usual burger and fries. She knew so much about him that when she thought about it...they were more like a couple than just partners. He knew her favorite flower, planet, and even her second favorite flower. It was ridiculous how much he knew about her and even about her life. He had been the one to discover who she really was before she was Temperance Brennan and helped her reunite with her father and brother after fifteen years. But she knew just as much about him, like the fact that he loved pie, his favorite sport was hockey, and that he wanted to make up for all the lives he took as a sniper by catching murderers as an FBI Agent. They were quite a pair and she was thankful the FBI had sent him to her all those years ago, even if they didn't always get along all the time.

Finishing up their dinner, they made their way back to her apartment. When they got there, she unlocked the door and came inside, setting her keys in the bowl on the table by the door. She shed her coat and hung it up on the rack before stepping into the living room and sinking to the couch to relax. It had been a long day on her feet and she was already tired. Looking at Booth, she knew that she had to talk to him. The topic had been stewing in her mind all day and she couldn't really hold it in any longer. This conversation had to happen now.

"Booth, can we talk?" she asked, moving over on the couch to let him sit beside her.

"Of course Bones," he replied as he sat down next to her. "What's on your mind?"

"You and I." Brennan looked at him hesitantly. She didn't know if it was too soon to talk about their relationship again since that night they put down dates on paper and burned them. She remembered the date she wrote down and it had yet to pass, but she knew that things changed. Change was inevitable. But this was a good change to her.

"What about us?" he asked, moving so he faced her more. She could see the questions in his deep brown eyes and knew that he was wondering what this was about.

"The last of my imperviousness is gone," she said softly, knowing that he would know what she meant. Their last conversation about this had said that when she lost the last of her imperviousness, she would be strong enough to give them a chance. "I'm strong enough...for us."

"You mean we can try?" he asked. "We can have a real chance for us?"

She nodded and looked at him with a smile. "Move in with me. You practically live here anyways, so it's not logical or practical for you to really keep your apartment. I have a spare room we can turn into a nursery."

"Bones, you're sure about that?" He had a smile on his face and Brennan could tell that he liked the idea, but he was considering her feelings first.

"I asked you to, didn't I?" she asked in reply, smiling. "There is a considerable advantage to both of us living in the same home as well." She could tell that he was thinking of the possibilities there.

"Okay," he agreed, smiling. "I'll finish out my lease on the apartment and we'll make this permanent. But, Bones?"

"Yes Booth?" She looked at him, concerned that there was something he was going to say to ruin this moment.

"Where is all my stuff gonna go?" he asked, laughing. "There isn't room...I mean all the stuff like furnature and things don't matter, but I do have some things I wanna keep."

Brennan laughed, relieved that this conversation was actually not as bad or difficult as she envisioned. "We'll figure out something Booth. Maybe we could put them in storage until we move into a bigger place. There is a very secure place not too far from here and I can make a phone call in the..."

Her words were cut off by Booth's finger against her lips with a smile on his face. "That sounds perfect. And since when were you thinking of moving into a bigger place?"

She blushed a little, embarrassed that she had thought of the possibility of things. Brennan was not usually a whimsical person, but lately she had been thinking of the future and what it _could _be with Booth. He was the only person she could see herself with because he knew her better and she trusted him. They had both come through their faults and done things to one another that hurt, but through it all they had been partners. Partners that had each others' backs when they needed it. But after that night, things had been significantly different. There was an element of tenderness that hadn't existed before.

"I started thinking about it right around the time you started to stay over more...I mean, it would be us and our child living here, which is fine. But the apartment is not big enough for when you have weekends with Parker. I want him to feel included too," she explained, looking at him sheepishly. Emotion and family were two things she was definitely not used to and now she was suddenly faced with both at the same time because of her pregnancy.

"That is really sweet of you," he replied. "I know Parker really likes you. He looks up to you and Max a lot. You have both taught him things I could never teach him about science. "

"He is a great kid, Booth. You've raised him to be honorable and kind, the way you are." Those were two things she admired most about Booth. Of all the men she had known in her life, Booth was the most loyal and good that she'd ever known or would ever know. He did what he considered to be right and tried to help others when he could, which was something she hoped passed on to their child.

"Thanks," he said, smiling at her.

She felt his eyes locking with hers for a moment before he closed the gap between them and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. It was hesitant and like he was asking for permission since they hadn't done anything since the night their child was conceived ten weeks prior. Without hesitation, he placed her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him back. There was no more fear behind what she felt, but instead confidence in the fact that she and Booth were together. She loved him, in whatever way that love meant. Everything about him made her ache to be held, touched, and cared for, which she trusted that he would.

Pulling back, she smiled at him and whispered, "Take me to the bedroom."

Without arguing, she allowed Booth to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom. Normally she liked being independent and able to do things for herself, but this was one of those moments where she didn't care. As he laid her down on the bed, she pulled him down on top of her to kiss him again. Her fingers worked slowly and undid his tie, pulling it off and throwing it to the floor before fumbling with the buttons of his shirt as she continued to kiss him. She loved the feeling of his lips against hers and how they fit perfectly. It was like he was made for her, even though she knew that wasn't logical or really possible, but it was a nice thought to have.

When she had his shirt unbuttoned, she pushed it off of his shoulders and down to deposit it on the floor with his tie. His lips made good as they kissed down her neck, causing her to gasp softly and pull at his undershirt to try and get it over his head as fast as possible. Managing to get it off, she threw it somewhere in the room before he pulled her shirt off and threw that as well. Smiling, she brought his lips to hers again, running her hands down his chest to his cocky belt buckle. Undoing it while his lips kept hers occupied, she found the button and fly of his pants before getting those undone as well. Running her hands down the back of his pants, she pushed them off. They went to the floor along with the rest of the clothing that had already been deposited there a few moments prior.

Booth sat up for a moment and she undid her own pants before lifting her hips and allowing him to pull them off. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers again in a frenzy of want, desire, and need for her that she liked. His lips left hers and traveled down her neck to the top of her collarbone before moving his hands over her shoulders to push down her bra straps. Reaching behind her back, she unhooked it and pulled it off completely. A small shiver went up her spine as the cooler air in the room rushed over her bare torso. She wanted and needed him now. Sliding her hands down his sides, she found the waistband of his boxers and pushed them down, moving her hands over his backside when they were off. Looking at him, she smiled and kissed him again, pushing her hips up to him to remove the last remaining item of clothing separating them.

Clothing forgotten and scattered around the room, Brennan moaned softly as they became one again. It had been weeks since she'd felt this satisfaction and she'd craved it every moment since that first time. Booth was perfect. They made love and let their passion for one another take over, which was something Brennan had never really allowed herself to do in previous sexual encounters. She gave herself completely, not just in body. This was what Booth was talking about and she finally understood what it was like. Every motion, kiss, and touch was tender and completely perfect. When she came, she moaned his name and kissed him hard, feeling him go shortly after her before collapsing on her. There was nothing else on earth that felt more amazing than what she just experienced. It was real and no one else would ever share that with her.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you all so much again for all the support for this story. Please, please review and let me know what you think! And pay attention to the new intern...she's important for the future. ;) xoxox**


	8. A Father's Blessing

Life settled into a happy rhythm of work and home life for Brennan and Booth as they embarked on a real relationship with one another. They were still catching murderers like usual, but at home they were just Temperance and Seeley, which was fine with Brennan. She liked the feel of a domesticated life since she'd never really had something stable like this before now. Everything in her life had been one big turnover after another starting when she was fifteen, but for the first time she had stability and something she could look forward to every day when she came home from work. Though she still didn't like the idea of marriage, being with someone else made her feel like she had a normal life. Lots of people didn't ever marry, but instead lived their lives with a single partner and she felt like she could do that with Booth. They were committed to one another in every way and she felt like that was more than enough.

But the last thing they had yet to do was tell her dad and Booth's son Parker that she was pregnant with Booth's child and that they were together as a couple. Booth had told her that Max suspected something was up when they worked the case at the bowling alley a few weeks back, just before she told Booth she was pregnant. She'd even noticed that he was perceptive to _something_ different between them, although neither of them said anything to confirm it. Booth seemed a little more apprehensive to tell her dad than anyone else because he was old fashioned and believed that people should get married if they had kids together, which was something Booth had believed too but made the exception for her. But they had agreed to tell him together, since Brennan wanted to be there to see her father's reaction and to tell him herself.

Walking into the diner, Brennan caught a wift of several different smells at once that overloaded her pregnancy senses. Coffee, bacon, and pancakes were the overriding smells that hit her the most. She was in her eleventh week of pregnancy and morning sickness still had been a problem she was dealing with. Every part of her was ready to get over it sometime during her second trimester, but until that point, she would have to deal with it and use whatever means she could to control it. Booth was at her side though, holding her hand as they walked in and spotted her father sitting at their usual table. Going over, she calmly sat down next to Booth after giving her father a hug.

"Tempe," Max said warmly, smiling at her. "It's good to see you. How have you been?"

"I've been doing well," she replied calmly and evenly, even though she was a little nervous about this. She had no idea how her father was going to react. "What about you? I see you're no longer in the wheelchair. Did you recover from your...um, injuries?"

"Oh yes, I'm just fine now. Just gotta make sure to stretch everyday and keep from getting stiff and the doc says I should be fine." Max folded his hands and placed them on the table before looking at Booth. "How have you been Booth?"

Brennan looked to Booth to see his reaction and gage his facial expressions. She was good at reading his reaction to things by the way his face moved. Subtle things she'd picked up in the last couple years of knowing him.

"Doing good. Just working and keeping up with all the crime in the city...the usual," Booth cooly replied without missing a beat. Brennan was thankful for his ability to be calm under pressure, even something like this. She wondered if that was a trait he learned from the military or a personality trait he already had.

"Dad, we have something to tell you," she finally said, looking back to her father from Booth.

"Okay?" Max asked hesitantly.

"I'm pregnant and Booth is the father," she said, looking in her father's eyes.

"Wow...my...Tempe? You're going to have a baby?" Max inquired, his eyes lighting up with surprise and delight.

Brennan nodded with absolute certainty and a smile that reflected how happy she truly was on the inside. "I'm about eleven weeks pregnant now. The doctor said that everything is healthy so far and we have nothing to worry about."

"Well you look stunning sweetheart," Max gushed, smiling proudly at his daughter. "A grandbaby...this is gonna take some getting used to. But I like it."

Booth sat next to Brennan and smiled at the whole display. He had known the entire time that Max would be happy to be a grandfather because he loved his daughter, but the part he wasn't sure about was how Max felt about him being the father of the baby. They had not had the best history in the world, so he knew that there was some issues there, but the main point was that they both cared for Brennan. That, above all else, was the most important thing between the two of them.

"Excuse me for a moment," Brennan said, getting up from the table to dart to the bathroom. This was a common thing now days with her morning sickness and overactive bladder, so Booth didn't see any reason to alarm.

"So...you're the father huh?" Max asked as soon as Brennan was out of earshot. "Must be an experience preparing for another baby since your boy is what...ten now?"

"He just turned eleven actually," Booth replied with a proud smile. Parker was his pride and joy and had been for the last eleven years, but adding to that with another baby was something he'd always wanted. And having a child with Bones made it that much more amazing.

"I wanna ask you something Booth," Max continued, folding his hands on the table in front of them with a fatherly look in his eye. This was a conversation Booth had steeled himself for before they came today. "Are you and my daughter together?"

Booth nodded. "We are. And I plan on staying that way. I love Temperance and I know that I've made a lot of mistakes before, but I am never going to hurt her again or leave her like I did before. I was a jackass to go to Afghanistan and one to push her before she was ready, but I will never do that again."

"What about marrying her?" Max arched an eyebrow in Booth's direction.

"Temperance doesn't believe in marriage and I respect that, but if there ever came a time when she decided that the idea wasn't so bad, I would marry her in a heartbeat," he answered wholeheartedly. "It's taken us this long to even be together as a couple, so I'm not going to push her before she's ready to commit to anything else."

Max nodded and seemed to accept that answer for the moment. "Well so long as you take care of my little girl and nothing happens to her or that precious baby, you're a good man in my book Seeley Booth."

Their conversation finished up right as Brennan returned to the table and they resumed talking about the baby and plans for the future. Max seemed pleased that he was going to have a grandchild to spoil, which was fine by Brennan. She had wondered for so long what it would be like to have a family after her parents disappeared that she was finally beginning to feel like they were a family. Booth had always told her that there were different kind of families in the world and she believed him. They had their own kind of family, composed of different odds and ends of people in their life from her father and brother to their friends at the Jeffersonian and Booth's son, grandfather, and brother. They were all meshed together into one larger family unit that Brennan was proud to have in her life.

After their lunch date with her father, Brennan and Booth made their way to the lab to make sure things were going well there. They had recently started a new case and were waiting to confirm identity of the victim, a one-year-old male child, through DNA and missing children's database. Working with children was always difficult for everyone, but since Angela and Hodgins had Michael now and Brennan was pregnant, everyone seemed a little more on edge than usual. Even Brennan found it a little more difficult to separate herself from the victim on her table, though she didn't show it to anyone, especially not Booth. He would get too worried and hoover over her, which was the last thing she wanted because she was pregnant. She still liked her independence to work freely in her own lab without people constantly checking in on her.

When they arrived, Angela had already come up to the platform to greet Brennan with information they had gathered. Cassidy was also working on putting the skeleton back on the table in the proper formation since they had cleaned the bones. Even she seemed rather distant today for some reason that Brennan couldn't figure out.

"What have we got?" Brennan asked as she swiped her card and started putting on her gloves as she came up the stairs.

"I've got a positive identification," Angela said, pulling up the information on the computer screen. "I put my sketch on the Missing Children's website and got a hit. The DNA is a match. His name was Karson James. Ten-months-old, reported missing in early 2004."

Brennan nodded and looked at the body. "Decomp and age is appropriate," she concurred. "Has Hodgins established time of death yet?"

"Not yet," Angela said, shaking her head.

From the corner of her eye, Brennan saw her intern backing away from the table with a look of shock and horror written across her face. She had never seen Cassidy act like this before. Normally, she was calm and professional in the lab while maintaining an outgoing persona, but she was completely silent and her eyes were filling with tears.

"May I be excused Dr. Brennan?" she asked softly, nearly begging.

"Cassie, you have worked on the remains of a child before..." she started to say, but seeing the look in her intern's eye, she couldn't force her to stay. "Yes, you may."

Cassie snapped off her gloved and ran off the platform for the nearest office she could find and shut the door behind her. Looking from the platform, Brennan had no idea what had just happened but looked to Angela for some sort of explanation. Her best friend looked just as speechless and confused as she felt. It was so unlike Cassidy to act in that manner, so Brennan knew that something must have happened to set her off like that.

"Sweetie, I don't think she's okay." Angela approached her side slowly and laid down the file in her hands on the table. "She took one look at the photo on the screen and the identification before she went whiter than a ghost."

"Ghosts aren't real Ange," Brennan countered, but quickly recanted when she realized that Angela didn't mean that literally. "You think...she knew the victim?"

"Look at the name," Angela pointed to the victim's identification. The last name was James, which was exactly what Cassidy's was.

"Do you think it was her younger brother? They do share some genetic traits that are very similar, like bone structure and hair color." Brennan could see Angela shake her head and knew that her idea wasn't far off from the plausible truth.

Angela placed her hand on Brennan's forearm and looked in her eyes. "You should go talk to her sweetie...she is distraught and needs someone to talk to."

"But I'm not good with interpersonal stuff Angela, you know this," she argued. "You should be the one to talk to her. You're good with people."

"She respects you though. And you are her mentor Bren," Angela countered. "She trusts you and will tell you what is bothering her if you just sit down and listen to her. You're good at listening and have been getting a lot better over the years. Trust me."

Brennan took a deep breath and nodded. Pulling off her own gloves, she threw them in the trash as she went down the steps of the platform to the office where Cassidy had run a few minutes before. Knocking on the door slightly, she opened it and walked inside to find her intern sitting against the wall with her knees drawn to her chest, sobbing and shaking violently. Going over, she sat down by her and waited for a few moments to allow her some space. She knew that she was not good at this kind of stuff and needed Booth with her sometimes when she talked with people, but her intern understood her. They were both intellectual enough to have an understanding of one another. However, this was something Brennan was not used to. So she waited and let Cassie take her time, letting her know by her simple presence that she was here to talk anytime she was ready.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews! Please keep them coming as they give me encouragement to write and ideas for future stuff! Told y'all to keep an eye on the intern didn't I? Her story is coming!**


	9. The Intern's Tale

Brennan sat with Cassidy for a while, just allowing her to cry and let her emotions out unhinged by conversation or anything else. Part of her understood that there were times when you didn't want to talk about things like something that obviously bothered you or made you come undone. There were plenty of times in her life that she felt that way, especially where her parents were concerned. Angela had urged her time and again to go to her mother's grave, but she'd been reluctant until a year after her burial to actually go because she believed that her mother couldn't hear her. But a deeper part of her was afraid to accept the reality that her mother was really gone. That was something she would never admit to anyone else, not even Booth. But for all intents and purposes, she understood not wanting to talk about something and gave Cassidy the same respect she would want from someone else if they tried to comfort her.

"Eight years ago, I gave birth to a baby boy," Cassie said, her voice straining with sobs. "I was sixteen at the time, unprepared and not old enough to have a child, but I had him because I did not believe in abortion. He was the most beautiful baby boy in the world and I loved him with all of my heart. For ten months, I raised him and cared for him while still attending high school. But when he was ten-months-old, he was kidnapped in a grocery store while my mother was shopping. I was devastated, ripped apart, and completely shattered by that loss and spent years after looking for him, hoping desperately that someday he would be returned to me...safely."

Brennan looked up to see Cassidy's eyes full of tears and filled in the blanks. The boy on the table was Cassidy's son; the baby she had lost seven years ago when he went missing and never gave up hope on finding.

"Karson was just a baby...so innocent and helpless," she whispered, holding her knees to her chest as if she were clinging to them for life. "I kept thinking that if I just kept looking and never gave up, I would find him. I had no idea that he would come back to me...like that. I knew...I knew it was a distinct possibility as the percentage of kidnapped children returned to their parents alive decreases with every year that goes by, but I didn't want to accept or believe that Karson..." Cassidy paused and visibly bit back her tears again. "...that he would come back to me this way."

"I...I do not have the words to say to you that can comfort you...that is not my forte," Brennan said quietly after a few moments of silence had passed between them. "But I can promise you this...we will catch whoever did this. I am the best Forensic Anthropologist in the world and Booth and I are the best team in the country at solving murders. If I find evidence of murder, Booth will turn it into an FBI case and we will find out what happened."

Cassidy nodded and wiped the tears that had stained her cheeks before looking down at her lap as she extended her legs to stretch them out. "I know that you probably think that it was my own fault that I wound up pregnant at sixteen...but it really wasn't. I was...raped." There was a pause in her thoughts as though she was gathering them to continue. "The son of one of the most powerful senators in Virginia took me to a party one night during my sophomore year of high school. I wasn't even drinking any alcohol, but he slipped something into my drink when I wasn't looking. I woke up naked and alone in his bedroom."

Brennan looked at Cassidy, completely shocked with her mouth agape. She understood what it was like to wake up and not know what happened. Years before she'd had an episode in New Orleans where she couldn't remember about twenty-four hours of her life, which was both a scary and awful experience for her. That was something she never wished upon anyone else, much less her own intern. Even though it had happened years ago, she still felt a sense of loss for Cassidy. So much had been stolen from her at such a young age, much like Brennan had lost her own family at just fifteen. Cassidy had her innocence and her son taken from her at the tender ages of sixteen and seventeen.

"Did you ever tell anyone or go to the police?" Brennan asked when she was finally able to pull her thoughts into one rational thought.

Cassidy shook her head. "He was the son of a powerful senator, so even if I had done something...he would have gotten off with little more than a slap on the wrist."

If there was one thing Brennan couldn't stand, it was people in power taking advantage of others because of their weaker status or inability to defend themselves. Anywhere she went in the world, she saw it. Whether that was through genocide in a third world country or just crooked politicians in the United States, it was everywhere in the world and no one could really escape it.

"We're going to solve this case and I promise you that we'll catch whoever did this to you and to your son Cassidy," she assured her intern with certainty.

The intern nodded and took a deep breath. "I apologize...but I cannot work with the remains of my son. It's too...personal for me."

Brennan nodded slowly. "I understand. I had something similar happen when my mother's remains ended up here at the Jeffersonian a few years ago. It was very difficult for even me to work on them, so I can understand how much more so it is for you since this is your child. I couldn't begin to...with my own..." she trailed off, looking down at her own stomach. The thought had never occurred to Brennan before about how fragile life was. She was carrying one inside of her and now working with the remains of her intern's child.

"Dr. Brennan...are you...?" Cassie asked hesitantly.

"I am. Eleven weeks now," she replied confidently, looking up to meet the kind brown eyes of the younger woman sitting next to her.

"Agent Booth's?" she asked, smiling a little.

Again Brennan nodded with a smile of her own. "Booth is the father. And we are a couple, but kind of keeping things between ourselves for a while. There are a few people, like Angela, Hodgins, and Cam that know about everything, but other than that...it's a private thing."

"I won't tell anyone," Cassie promised. "And thank you...for understanding about everything. I just want to know what happened to my son and who did this to him so they can rot in jail and then in hell."

"I don't believe that there is a hell...or purgatory as many religions in the world believe in, but I do believe that they will be imprisoned for the rest of their natural life," Brennan said, standing up.

Her young intern stood up and nodded softly. "If you or Agent Booth need any information about my son, I would be glad to give you both anything you need to solve this case."

"I will let Booth know of my findings and when the FBI takes over, you'll be the first person we talk to," she said, nodding after a moment before returning to the forensic platform to finish her examination of the young baby, feeling a little more morose than she had when she'd come in to work.

Never before had the remains of a child had this kind of effect on Temperance Brennan, but she knew that somehow this case was a little more personal. Even though she hadn't allowed herself to really get to know Cassidy as an intern since she'd lost Vincent and Zack before him, this case was somehow bonding them because this boy had been Cassidy's son and Brennan herself was a mother-to-be. She knew that this case would be one that Booth took personally as well, as he did with every case that dealt with a child. Now she finally understood why.

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><p><strong>AN: I apologize that this chapter is so short! But the next one is definitely going to be longer! Please review and let me know what you think so far since reviews are what keep me motivated to write this lovely story for everyone!**


	10. Interview

Days passed after Brennan learned about her intern's story and identified the child on the table as Cassidy's son. The investigation was officially ruled a murder after Brennan found evidence of blunt force trauma to the baby's skull that she was almost certain was the cause of death since there was evidence of blood pooling around the wound. Since the body was almost eight years old, they had very little to work with other than skeletal remains and the pieces of clothing and a blanket found at the scene where the body was found. Brennan worked every day on the body, keeping Clark and the other interns close by for observation in case they saw something. More than one set of eyes was useful when working a case like this that was both time sensitive and personal to someone they knew. She wanted this case solved as quickly as possible so Cassidy could lay her son to rest and could start moving on with her life.

Between working the case every single day and her pregnancy, Brennan had been wiped out lately. Her stamina was not what it usually was, which proved completely disastrous for her and Booth in the bedroom. Even though she wanted to be intimate with him, she just didn't have the energy. When she would arrive home, she would barely make it through dinner and a shower before crashing on the bed next to Booth. Instead of complaining, he took it very admirably and instead, helped her as much as possible by cooking and keeping her company while she slept. It was nice knowing that someone else was there with her while she was sleeping, even though having this kind of company was not something Brennan was used to in the least. But since they were a couple now, she was getting more used to it and really had come to love being able to wake up knowing someone would be there with her. After living alone for so long, it was a nice thought and sentiment to have in her life.

Her morning sickness had toned itself down some, but not nearly enough to be eliminated. She was still making frequent trips to the bathroom because she couldn't stand a certain smell that drafted her direction. Or if something caught her off guard enough to send her flying to the porcelain fountain. But it was getting better and manageable, which was something she was grateful for. She was in her twelfth week of pregnancy and things were starting to really change. She'd gained about five pounds overall and had a small, but defined bump resting between her pelvis. One that she kept hidden with looser fitting shirts and dresses. She and Booth had yet to formally announce their pregnancy since she wanted to be past the first trimester before they did, but people were picking up on the different emotional context of their work environment when Booth was around. Even she knew that.

As she worked on the skull, she heard someone swipe their card to come onto the platform and looked up to see Booth coming over to her with a file in hand. She knew that had to be more information about the case or a possible suspect. Putting down the small child's skull on the table, she stood up and looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Is that information pertaining to the case?" she asked without hesitation.

Booth nodded. "I need to speak with Cassie. Is she around today?"

"I believe she is currently in Angela's office. They were speaking about arrangements for the funeral for...for Karson," Brennan said, pausing before she could mention the victim's name. In previous cases, she'd never referred to the victim by name, particularly in a child's case because it helped her keep her distance emotionally and be both professional and rational in the situation. But this was was just different.

"I'll go talk with her. Would you like to come?" Brennan nodded and pulled off her gloves, hearing the familiar snap of the rubber as it came off. Tossing them in the trash, she walked down the steps of the platform and walked with Booth to Angela's office.

Cassidy was there, speaking with Angela about the funeral she was planning. Brennan was thankful that Angela and Cam were handling the arrangements since they were better at the emotional things than she was. Booth cleared his throat once, causing Cassie to turn around in surprise. There was nothing cheerful in her demeanor and Brennan knew that she truly was a parent grieving for the loss of her child. In her mind, she silently hoped to never be in the same position as Cassidy. Even though the child in her womb was only a little more than two inches long, she still felt the love for it that a mother felt for a child, which did not make any sense to her, but she did not care.

"Cassie, I have a couple questions that we need to ask you if you don't mind," Booth said, looking at her with respect and consideration. One thing Brennan always noticed was that he had the utmost respect for the parents of the victims that were children. It was something she admired and respected herself.

Cassie nodded and stood up from Angela's couch. "Of course, Agent Booth. I will answer anything you ask."

The trio excused themselves from Angela's office and went into Brennan's where they shut the door to conduct the interview. It was private and the blinds could be drawn so no one would be able to see what was going on. Brennan sat at her desk while Cassie and Booth took their seats on the couch. Booth opened the file in his hands and started his usual interview.

"There are some details that we need to know about your son," he started off, holding up the birth certificate for the boy. "There is no name on the certificate for the father."

"I...I did not want to put the name. H-he raped me and it was traumatizing enough going through pregnancy after that, so I left it blank. The hospital said it was perfectly legal," she said quickly, defending herself.

"Oh we aren't questioning the legality. We just want to know the name of the father so we can go asking him some questions about his whereabouts the day your son went missing," Booth calmly replied, assuaging her fears.

Cassie breathed a sigh of relief that Brennan noticed as her body language relaxed. "Ethan Hartford. His father is a senator for Virginia, so he denied everything and I never heard from him again after the night he raped me because he was eighteen at the time and I was only sixteen. DNA will prove he's the father."

"We'll make sure he gives a DNA sample to prove that Karson was his child," Booth assured her. "And when we bring him in for questioning, he'll cop to the assault and rape of a minor too."

"Booth is very persuasive in getting people to admit what they did," Brennan added, knowing how true that was. She knew how he felt about these cases too, which was one reason he worked so hard to solve them and bring justice to those who were helpless.

"What we need to know first is what happened that night, when he raped you. If you don't want to talk about it now, that is perfectly fine. But we will need to know when you're ready."

Cassie took a deep breath and nodded. "I can talk about it now. It's been over eight years since it happened. I was sixteen at the time. I went to a party with Ethan, just to hang out and dance. There was alcohol there, but I didn't drink any since I didn't like to drink. I had soda, but after one in particular, I started feeling a little inebriated. I asked Ethan to take me home and that is the last thing I remember before waking up in his bed, naked and alone."

"And you know you were sexually assaulted?" Booth asked gently.

Cassie nodded again. "I was a virgin until that night...I felt the pain afterward and knew that he'd taken that from me. There was also blood on the sheets between my legs. I was so ashamed of myself and of what happened that I quickly dressed and asked him to take me home."

"And nine months later, you gave birth to your son?"

"Eight and a half...he came two weeks early. But yes, I found out I was pregnant roughly five weeks after the incident and I knew that Ethan was the father without a doubt."

"Did you inform him of the pregnancy?" Booth asked.

"I did," Cassie nodded. "He told me to get rid of it and gave me money to pay for an abortion. That was the last I heard from him."

"What did you do with the money?" Booth looked up from his notes on the case.

"Invested it in a college fund for my child. I put it in a savings account with interest so it would grow and there would be enough for Karson to go to college when he was old enough," she replied. "After his disappearance, I never touched the money in hopes that someday my son would be returned to me."

Brennan could see that her intern was an intelligent and strong woman from the time she was young, which she admired. She had gone through so much in her teenage years that it reminded Brennan of her own troubled past. Foster home to foster home from the time she was fifteen, never knowing where her parents had gone. Those were things that she would never wish upon her own child. She could see that Cassidy had never wanted anything bad to happen to her son. The facts were right there. Cassidy had cared for the little boy she'd given birth to at just sixteen and wanted to raise him. The body of the child in her lab and the story her intern had been telling them proved to Brennan that there were some sick people in the world. People who would take a child from it's mother and murder it without a second thought.

"And could you tell us about the day Karson disappeared?" Booth continued, pulling Brennan from her thoughts.

"I was at school, taking classes to keep up with my school work and get ahead to graduate early. My mom had taken Karson for the day like she usually did when I was in school. They'd gone to the grocery store to pick up stuff for dinner. She said she turned her back for a moment and when she turned around, he was gone. After...she was frantic. She talked with store employees and they locked the entire store down to find him. He was nowhere to be found and...and then she had to call me. I left school immediately and went to the grocery store that she was at. The police spread out a ten-mile radius of there to see if they could find him anywhere...nothing turned up."

Cassie paused for a moment to compose herself, an action Brennan could certainly understand. While she did not agree with Psychology as a whole, she knew that bringing up a painful past was not always the easiest thing in the world. She knew from experience.

"Did you report him missing officially?" Booth asked gently.

"I did. They would not let me for twenty-four hours, but as soon as I was able to I did. We put up posters everywhere, I interviewed for the local news, and just kept on searching. I never gave up on my little boy."

Booth nodded and took down some notes that Brennan couldn't read from the angle she was sitting, but she knew it was things to consider later in the case. "Would you mind giving me your mother's name and number so we can get in contact with her about any other details?"

"Of course," Cassie replied, taking a pen and paper to write down the number they needed. "She is usually home most of the day since she retired. Both she and my father would be happy to answer any questions you might have. They loved Karson...they were devastated when I told them..."

Taking the paper from Cassie, Booth put it along with the case files before standing up. Brennan stood with him and watched as he thanked Cassie for her help and promised to let her know as soon as they had any details they could tell her. Cassie nodded and left the room. Brennan looked to Booth and took a deep breath.

"We'll have to get in contact with her mom to get the details about the actual kidnapping," he said in a matter of fact tone. One he used when he was serious about something.

She nodded in agreement. "Are you intending to go today?"

"Not today. Probably first thing tomorrow since it is already getting late in the day. Right now I think I'm gonna give the information I have to Sweets to see if he can come up with some profile of who would take a kid," he said, holding up the case file. "Maybe work some of his mumbo jumbo psych stuff on it. Who knows?"

"Mumbo jumbo? I don't know what that means," Brennan replied, shaking her head and walking out of the office.

"Means that Sweets is gonna work his magic and possibly give us a suspect to look for."

"Oh. Well then by all means, let Sweets work. Although I do not believe in Psychology, as I have said many times, I do believe that Sweets is very good at what he does."

Booth laughed and smiled at her as he walked toward the exit to deliver the file to Sweets at the Hoover. Brennan smiled and walked up to the platform again, swiping her card to grant her access. Going over to the bones, she took another look and snapped on fresh gloves as she got back to work.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter up! I hope you are all enjoying this story. Please, please leave me a review to let me know what you're thinking so far. I see other stories with so many that it makes me a little jealous since I LOVE hearing all of your lovely opinions!**


	11. The Big Reveal

_Thank you all so much for your reviews! This chapter has a bit of fluff, so bare with me and continue to read. Please **please** leave me a review. I would like to know how I am doing on this story and if you guys are liking it. Plus, it gives me more motivation to post faster!_

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><p>Family.<p>

That was an entirely new concept for Brennan. For a woman who had spent much of her life alone since she was fifteen, being in a family was something new that she had to adjust to. Her pregnancy had thrown her into a family situation that she was not sure she was entirely ready for, but with Booth at her side things were constantly improving. The ebb and flow of a normal life was something Brennan found herself enjoying a little more everyday. From waking up next to Booth to eating breakfast with him before work, everything felt different than it ever had before. They still bickered and fought like always, which was nothing new to either of them since their entire relationship with one another had been about bickering over points of view on anything from religion to the case they were working on.

But for all their faults and imperfections, they were perfect for one another. He was the balancing force in her life that helped her bridge the gap between her socially awkward self and the rest of the world who had little or no understanding of her. Booth had patiently and willingly taught her how to communicate with people in a way that was more emotional and less stringent than she had before. Taking his cues and picking up on body language, she learned to be more sympathetic to the victims' families and not focus so much on the scientific terms when speaking with them. But there were still moments when she could not help herself and slipped into her rational self.

Reaching her thirteenth week of pregnancy was a milestone as it meant she was officially in her second trimester. Their baby was about three and a half inches long and an ounce and a half, which was significant growth from the first trimester. Brennan could feel the top of her uterus with her fingers on her belly since it had risen out of her pelvis and she had a small, but defined bump that was growing with every week that passed. Her breasts had grown significantly as well, which was something Booth enjoyed much more than she did. They were a hassle to contain and keep from spilling out of her lower cut tops, which she pretty much eliminated from her wardrobe for work after realizing that they no longer fit her growing bust in a way that was appropriate for a professional environment, much to Booth's chagrin. However, they were not banned from wear around the house or out on dates, which she knew drove him nuts.

After reaching her thirteenth week in pregnancy, she and Booth decided it was time to officially announce their pregnancy to their co-workers. They were all still in the midst of the investigation for the death of Karson James. Booth had several leads going, including the boy's biological father and grandfather, but nothing was permanent yet. Brennan and her interns had ascribed cause of death to blunt force trauma to the chest and head, likely caused by pressing on his chest and his head coming in contact with a hard surface, like concrete. But the case was stalling as they were trying to find a scenario that fit the injuries of the child, the evidence and particulates that were found with the body, and the amount of force it would take to crush the child's ribs in that manner.

But today was not about murder. It was about life and the celebration of the life growing inside of her, as Booth put it. They invited all their friends and co-workers out to the Founding Fathers, including those who already knew like Sweets, Angela, and Cam. But the interns, including Wendell, Fisher, and Daisy were all still in the dark. As well as Hodgins. Everyone was drinking, minus Brennan and Angela, and having a good time when Booth stood up.

"Alright everyone, Bones and I have an announcement to make," he said, holding his beer bottle in his hand. Brennan stood up next to him and smiled as everyone's attention craned to them from their seats. Angela looked giddy with excitement while Hodgins looked plain confused.

"Booth and I are expecting," Brennan piped up without missing a beat. "Our due date is right around the first of the year."

There was a lot of commotion and congratulations buzzing from their crowd of friends, including murmurs of surprise. Brennan heard Clark exclaim that Fisher owed him fifty bucks and soon realized that everyone had been taking bets about when she and Booth would wind up together. Remembering that awkward moment in the lab with Clark right after everyone had come back from Maluku, Afghanistan, or sabbatical, she couldn't help but bite back a smirk. Secretly, Clark had been rooting for them from the beginning and Brennan clearly saw that after his exclamation of happiness.

"Congratulations," Hodgins exclaimed, coming up and shaking Booth's hand before hugging her. "I knew Angie had been keeping something from me, but I couldn't figure out what it was."

"I asked her not to say anything until we were safely out of our first trimester," she replied calmly, smiling at her friend.

He nodded and smiled. "Well I'm really happy for you guys. You both deserve it. Being a dad is great and I know Booth is good at it already."

"Thank you Hodgins," she said genuinely. "And I know he is. I've seen it."

A knowing smile crossed Brennan's lips. She had seen the fatherly instincts in Booth long before she was ever pregnant with his child. When he had Parker, it was like a whole other side of him came to light. One that could be silly and completely un-adult like when Parker was younger and protectively fierce when someone threatened his son. She knew that the same would be said for their child, son or daughter. He was already so protective of her even though she insisted that she was still certainly capable of taking care of herself and their unborn child. But, his alpha male tendencies were enduring enough for her to allow some leniency where he was concerned. Booth was someone that made her feel worthy of being taken care of, like she was a treasured item that he could never let go of. With him, she felt cherished.

After the flurry of congratulatory handshakes and hugs were exchanged, everyone sat down again and the chatter picked back up about what would happen when the baby was born and who would be working in Brennan's absence as the reigning forensic anthropologist. Brennan had already decided that Clark was more than capable of handling the responsibilities of the lab and the other interns, having done so before while she was away in Maluku. But she would wait to reveal that information when the time came so that none of the other interns would slack on their work. Keeping them at their personal best was what she wanted to do since they were her interns and she was helping them begin their careers.

When everyone was dispersing, she and Booth got in the car to drive home with her at the wheel since Booth had drank quite a few rounds tonight. Surprisingly, he did not argue with her driving like he usually did, instead simply smiling and letting her get in on the driver's side. She attributed that to the general good mood of the evening. She drove home quietly, letting the euphoria of the evening sink in with her.

Everyone knew about her pregnancy now, which lifted a weight from her shoulders that she never expected to have. They were all accepting of it as well, which she was grateful for because it meant they would be cooperative in working with her during the worst of her pregnancy, which was sure to come in the final trimster. Knowing herself well enough, Brennan knew that she was going to have mood swings and irritability that would probably test the patience of everyone around her, including herself. Knowing as much about the human anatomy and chemistry as she did, she knew that her hormones were going to shift uncontrollably as the pregnancy went on. While she felt badly for those she worked with, she felt most strongly for Booth, who would be taking the brunt of her behavior. But he was strong and she was sure he was up for the challenge.

When they arrived home, she slipped out of her dress and into something more comfortable; a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt that fit snugly over her little bump. Standing in front of the mirror, she turned the the side, pulled her shirt up over her stomach, and examined herself. Her breasts were huge compared to what they were before, at least in her opinon. And her hips had widened slightly, preparing her body to give birth in a few months time. But the most precious of her changes was the small belly protruding from her hips, proof that there was a child there. Grazing her hand over it, she rested her palm against her skin. A moment later, another hand covered her own. Smiling as she looked up and saw Booth, she felt his lips on her temple.

"You look beautiful Temperance," he murmured softly.

"Thank you Booth," she replied, turning to face him.

Cupping his cheek, she looked into his warm brown eyes, finding the comfort she always did. His eyes were always a source of strength and support for her when she needed it. They were warm and comforting when they needed to be, but fierce and striking when he was protecting her or pursuing a suspect. The diversity of the two was something that always turned Brennan on, even if she had never admitted that openly before. Leaning up, she pecked his lips once and pulled back to look at him again.

"Everyone seemed happy for us tonight," he grinned.

"It was something they have all been anticipating for many years I suppose," she laughed, smiling at him. "I even heard Clark tell Fisher that he owed him money. They had a bet going."

Booth laughed out loud, a warm chuckle that Brennan loved. "I knew that there had to be a pool going somewhere in that lab. I'm surprised Angela herself wasn't the one behind it."

"Do you believe that they ever thought it would take this long for us to be together?" she asked, honestly curious about what Booth thought.

"No. I think they were all counting on it from the moment we started working together on that first case."

"The Gemma Arrington one?" Pulling away from him, she walked over to their bed and climbed in.

Booth followed suit and got under the covers. "Yeah. I mean, hasn't Angela been telling you for years that you and I should date?"

Snuggling into his arms, she nodded. "She has been urging me to take a chance...ride that ride as she says."

Another wave of laughter erupted from both of them as Booth kissed her head. "Well I'm glad you finally did. I'm glad that _we_ finally did."

"I am too Booth."

With that, they fell into a deeper sleep than Brennan had experienced in a long time. No interruptions by nausea, dreams, or anything else. Just peace in the arms of someone who loved her unconditionally, even when she didn't believe in love. He had made her believe in the impossible before. Who was to say that he wouldn't prove her wrong again? In fact, she hoped he would.


	12. Interrogation

_Hey guys! Thank you all **so much** for all the feedback so far. Please keep the reviews coming since they give me a sense of if you're liking this story or not. I accept all forms of feedback, so long as I get feedback! _

_I hope you enjoy this next installment and prepare for some Booth hotness...aka he's gonna get pissed!_

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><p>Taking a deep breath, Brennan stepped back from the remains on her table. She had been working non-stop on the Karson James case for over a month and a half now, which was growing more complex at nearly every turn and twist. Booth was getting more frustrated with their lack of progress in the case, but Brennan wanted to be thorough because this case was so personal to someone who they worked with. Not that she wasn't thorough with every case they worked on, but this one was different in a way. Much like her own mother's case. Their team had determined that the trauma to the boy's skull was definitely the cause of death and that the weapon used was a small, blunt object made of marble. Brennan had ascertained that it was most likely a statue of some kind, one that was used to decorate end tables in homes of wealthier families. She had quite a few of those in her and Booth's home that she had collected over the years of her travel and some that were given to her as gifts from friends who knew she liked trinkets from around the world.<p>

As she stood over the remains, she moved her gloved hands carefully over them. They were the smallest set of remains that she had ever worked on, minus the Richardson case she and Booth had worked on just over a year into their partnership. That child had only been a few weeks old and killed by his own mother, who stole the child from Mrs. Richardson's womb to replace her own. It was a sad case that really had touched Booth in ways that she knew would since he had a son of his own. But this boy had had a life, a mother and grandparents who loved him, and a future ahead of him that had limitless possibilities. She was working toward finding answers to give Karson's family, especially his mother, peace of mind to put him to rest.

Working over the remains, she thought about her own child. She was seventeen weeks pregnant now and a well defined bump rested on her pelvis. Their child was developing quickly and was nearly five inches long and three ounces. The bones of the inner ear were well developed and forming, meaning their child could now hear things outside of the womb; something Booth took great pleasure in as he talked to the baby almost every night regardless of Brennan's arguments that the baby could not understand a word he was saying. But, despite her argument and knowledge that the baby could not understand the words he was saying, she enjoyed watching him talk to their child. It only meant that the baby would recognize Booth's voice at birth and be comforted easily by it.

The voice she so easily recognized as he swiped his card and came onto the platform.

"Hey Bones, I got Ethan Hartford in for questioning. You wanna go with?" he asked, walking over to her.

Snapping off her gloves, she stepped back from the table. "Yes, I would like to go. We have cause of death and Hodgins has narrowed down the place to two distinct options."

"Great. Where is he? Because I need to know this information going into this interview," he said, clapping his hands together enthusiastically.

"Right behind ya man," Hodgins greeted, coming up behind Booth to access the computer on the platform. "We found traces of minerals and insects common to the area the body was found in, which leads it to be a possible murder scene. But, I also found something else that was interesting." There was a smile across his face that meant that he had found something really good. They all knew that smile too well. "I found traces of Cypripedium reginae inside the clothing and blanket found at the scene."

"Okay...what is that?" Booth asked, arching an eyebrow curiously.

"Otherwise known as the Showy Lady's-slipper," Hodgins replied, pulling up a photo of the rare and beautiful white and pink flower. "This flower is usually native to Minnesota and New Hampshire, but private families can buy seeds and grow them in their own gardens. Anybody who has money and enjoys gardening will have these. I think you need to check the Hartford Estate in Virginia."

"How do you know they even have an estate?" Booth shot back.

"Dude...I'm a conspiracy theorist. I know where all the politicians live," Hodgins smirked.

"Of course you would," Booth said, shaking his head. "Bones, you ready?"

"I am," Brennan said, coming back around, slipping off her lap coat.

"They have Ethan at the Hoover building for questioning. After we get done there, I'll get Caroline to get me a warrant to search their estate in Virginia," he said as they walked out of the Jeffersonian toward his SUV.

Brennan nodded, getting inside on the passenger side of the car, buckling her seat belt immediately out of habit. "Does Ethan Hartford know why he's being brought in for questioning?" Her question rose out of simple curiousity since she had seen Booth interrogate suspects time and again over the years. She noticed that he seemed to like the element of surprise when questioning someone.

Booth shook his head. "Probably thinks we're bringing him in on some tax evasion thing. Senators and their families seem to be big on that these days and since his dad is a senator...well you get the idea Bones," he explained as he pulled out of the parking lot toward the Hoover building.

"That's a very narrow view of politicians, Booth," she said, looking at him incredulously. "I thought that you were all about patriotism and serving the country."

"I am Bones," he quipped quickly. "But there are some people out there that should not be in power. Even History teaches us that, right?"

Booth had a point. There were some leaders in history that should not have ever been given power, so Brennan accepted his logic. "I was just suggesting that you not assume something about Senator Hartford. While his son might be a criminal, if we prove him to be one, that does not mean his father is one as well."

"I will try," he conceded as they pulled into the parking lot of the Hoover building.

Brennan got out of his SUV and walked in with him. After showing their IDs and getting clearance, they went up to the floor where the interview rooms were. Many times Brennan had come up here with Booth to sit in on an interview or observe from behind the glass, but this was the first case they had worked on like this in a long time and Booth certainly had his reservations about her being there while pregnant, but she reassured him that she was still well within the safety restrictions of her pregnancy.

As they walked into the interview room, Brennan felt a sense of familiarity with this place. This was where Booth did some of his best work as an FBI agent because he was good at reading people, their body language, and whether or not they were lying. She had no idea how any of his readings were accurate or proof of something since they were not based in hard sciences, but she trusted them like she trusted Booth. He was generally knew exactly what questions to ask to get under a suspect's skin just enough to get what information he truly wanted, whether that was an actual confession of true guilt or the name of someone else that might be guilty, useful information about the victims they did not know before, or even more proof to use later when building a case against the actual murderer.

Sitting down at the table with Booth, she looked across to see a young man sitting there. He was in his mid-twenties with sandy blonde hair, grey eyes, and a snide sneer on his face that Brennan found she wanted to smack right off of him. She knew what he had done to Cassie because of the story she had been told. And despite what people thought about her having little trust in people, she trusted her intern enough to believe her. And the proof had been the child's remains laying on her table. The bone markers were similar and she could see that Karson had the same bone structure in his face as his assumed biological father. She knew that infants often resembled their fathers more in their first year of life because fathers were less likely to reject their children if they saw themselves.

"You know why you're here Ethan?" Booth started off, putting the file on the table in front of him before folding his hands on top of it.

"No. Not really," he replied, shaking his head and shrugging. "Did I do something...forget to pay a speeding ticket from last year...because I swear those were taken care of."

"Cool your jets, hot shot," Booth said, opening the file to pull out a photo of Cassie. "You recognize this girl?"

Ethan stared at the picture and shrugged once. "Maybe. Might have met her in college or something. A lot of girls are blonde and pretty these days."

Brennan clenched her jaw. She had a strong dislike for men like him, who thought of girls as one group clumped together by their physical features such as brunettes, blondes, and attractive or not. To her, every human was an individual and had a story to tell through their bones, and deserved to be treated as such.

"Her name is Cassidy James. Maybe that rings a bell," Booth continued steadily, never faltering or showing his obvious irritation at Ethan.

"No, not coming to me," Ethan replied curtly. "Do I have to be here since I obviously don't know this woman you keep asking me about?"

"How about this one buddy boy, she was the girl you raped almost nine years ago at some party after you drugged her," Booth snapped. "The woman who gave birth to your son about nine months later, which you tried to pay her to have an abortion. That sound familiar?"

Brennan could see the vein in Booth's neck pulsing and knew that he was getting extremely irritated with Ethan. She knew that working on cases involving children was stressful for him, but now that they were having a baby of their own, it was amplified even more. Booth was an upstanding man and great father to both Parker and their unborn child, so guys like Ethan Hartford sent him over the edge a lot of the time with their callous behavior and shrude comments that made them seem superior to everyone else, even though Brennan was of the strong opinion that Booth was a much better man than Ethan Hartford would ever be.

"Look, the kid wasn't mine," Ethan said defensively. "I can't help it if some girl gets knocked up at fifteen and tries to pin it on me because I have money. I felt bad for her so I offered to pay for the abortion so she wouldn't completely fuck up her life. Obviously, she didn't listen or something and now you're trying to peg this kid on me. Although, I don't understand why this is an FBI matter. Don't the social workers or something handle this?"

Brennan could see Booth had had enough. Before she could say anything, Booth snapped and pinned Ethan's head to the metal table in front of them. "Look...bud, you wanna know why the FBI is involved, take a look at this photograph."

Booth pushed the photo of Karson's remains right in front of Ethan's nose, in full view of his eyes.

"That little boy is dead. And we want answers," he said sharply, letting go of Ethan's head so he could sit back up. "Now, we've subpenaed a DNA sample from you and if it's a match to that little boy, you're going to be charged with the rape of a minor. And right now, you are suspect numero uno for the kidnapping and murder of that child. Now, my partner Dr. Brennan is going to swab the inside of your mouth for the DNA sample. You're going to cooperate with her or else things are going to get _very _ugly very quickly."

Booth nodded to Brennan, signaling her that it was okay to get the sample they had come for. Putting her latex gloves on, she moved over and held out the cotton swab before Ethan begrudgingly opened his mouth. When she had swabbed the inside of his cheek, she put it in the plastic bag to take it back to the Jeffersonian before stepping back from him.

"Can I go now?" Ethan asked, obviously annoyed. "I have better things to do than be accused of false allegations."

"Yeah, but don't wander too far Ethan. We'll be in contact very soon," Booth warned as Ethan stood up and walked out the door, obviously irritated at the situation that went down.

"What just happened...didn't happen," Booth said, looking at her meaningfully. She knew that he was talking about the moment where he had Ethan Hartford's head pinned to the table.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied, putting the cotton swab sample in her tote bag. "I need to get this back to the Jeffersonian and to Cam to test for a DNA match."

Booth nodded before they left the Hoover Building for the Jeffersonian once more.


	13. Special Appointment

_Hey guys! So, please excuse the lack of updates lately...I just started my last semester of college. I'm excited to graduate in December, but I **will **keep on writing this story so long as people keep reading! Thank you all so much for your support and love so far. But, as all writers, I really would like more feedback. Tell me what you like about this story, things that you might want to see in future chapters, and suggestions you have for improving my writing skills as I'm always looking to get better. So **please** don't read and dash! Leave me a review and let me know what you think!_

_Again, thank you so much for your love and support over the past couple chapters and keep an eye out for more in the future!_

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><p>"Damn it!" Brennan said, reaching down under the exam table to pick up the instrument that she had unintentionally dropped out of her hands.<p>

Lately she had been dropping a lot more things ranging from her latex gloves to her earrings as she attempted to put them in. Usually this would have been a minor inconvenience, but with her burgeoning belly growing everyday it seemed, it was annoying and irritating. She was only just nineteen weeks pregnant, but she felt like she was already near the end because the baby sat on her bladder or used her kidneys for target practice. But despite the instances of annoyance, she was glowing and happy in her second trimester.

"I got it Bones," Booth said as he came up the stairs and chivalrously picked up her measuring tool from the ground, returning it to her hand with a warm grin on his face.

"I could have gotten it myself Booth," she chided, pursing her lips once. "I'm pregnant, not incapacitated."

Lately that had been their most recent argument since he had taken the liberty of doing things for her that she liked doing herself, like picking up her own things from the floor when they were dropped. Though she knew his intentions were pure and mostly alpha male dominated by the need to care for one's mate while they were pregnant, they weren't any less irritating. But she had to be patient with Booth because he assured her this is what men did in relationships. Having been in do few real romantic relationships herself, she trusted Booth's words and knew that they would eventually find some common ground to stand on together as a couple.

"I know Bones, I was just trying..."

"To be helpful, I know," she cut him off before giving him a small smile. "But your helpful tendencies are often a little unhinging to my nerves. As much as I appreciate them, I find them very irritating at the present. But thank you for trying."

She tacked the last part on as a loving and sincere appreciation for him. He had been helpful through her whole pregnancy thus far, especially in the early days when nausea really hit her full force and she had spent many mornings and evenings over the porcelain toilet bowl. Now that she was in her second trimester and feeling more like herself, she wanted to keep doing the things she was used to doing herself, including picking up her own things that she dropped on the floor. She knew that later in her pregnancy when her equilibrium and sense of balance was completely different with her belly in the way entirely, she would probably have to rely on him to help her pick up things from the floor, but for the time being she wanted to do it herself.

"Are you here to pick me up for our doctor's appointment?" she asked, putting her tools on the exam table and snapping off her gloves.

Today was an ultrasound appointment, which would possibly determine the gender of their baby. While she was excited at the prospect of seeing their child on the screen again and finding out if it was a boy or girl, she was a little nervous about it as well. Brennan knew that there was always a risk in pregnancy for something to go wrong, even in the healthiest of pregnancies, so she needed the reassurance that their child was healthy. Every appointment thus far had given her that reassurance, but as the pregnancy progressed she knew that her anxieties would become more frequent.

"Yeah, you ready to go?" Booth asked in reply.

"I am. Just let me tell Cam that we are going to be gone for a couple hours and I will be right back," she said, taking off her lab coat, which now no longer buttoned in the front because of her baby belly.

Booth nodded, letting her go down the stairs off the platform and over to Cam's office. She peeked in to find her boss sitting at the computer, going through some of the evidence that they had cataloged for the Karson James case. The case itself was getting closer to being solved, but Brennan patience along with everyone else that the Jeffersonian's, was being tested as things kept coming up inconclusive. But they were getting closer with every day to finding the answer. Booth had already arrested the Ethan Hartford and brought charges against him for lying to the police during a criminal investigation. The DNA came back a positive match, so Karson James was Ethan Hartford's biological son. Booth also charged him with the rape and sexual assault of a minor, so they were getting close to an answer.

After telling Cam that she was going to her doctor's appointment, she came back out to the platform and met Booth at the bottom of the stairs before they walked out to the SUV. The drive to the doctor's office was quiet as both were lost in their thoughts. Knowing if she was having a son or daughter was a daunting thought to Temperance Brennan because the baby would finally be referred to by either "he" or "she" after today. It was a reality check to her. Although she'd known she was pregnant for some time, seeing the baby on a sonogram and knowing the gender would make it all the more real.

When they arrived at the doctor's, Brennan signed herself in and sat in the waiting room with Booth. There were several other women present, many much more pregnant than herself. All were sitting with their respective partners or significant others, with the exception of one woman. Brennan found herself gazing upon a girl no older than eighteen, sitting in the corner by herself. She was a small brunette with a small, but defined bump resting on her pelvis. Brennan guesstimated that she was around the same point in her pregnancy as herself. The other women in the room sneered at her and whispered when they glanced at her, obviously judging her for her young age, but Brennan did not. In her, she saw a younger version of her intern. She could only begin to imagine what it was like for someone her age to go through pregnancy alone. Brennan had been confident that she could go through it on her own, but after dealing with the symptoms and actually being pregnant, she was thankful to have Booth there...even if he did hover like a helicopter, waiting for something to go wrong.

A few minutes later, Brennan heard her name being called by the nurse and rose from her seat, removing her gaze from the young girl in the corner. Walking through the door back to an exam room, she put her purse in the corner and made herself comfortable on the table while waiting for the doctor to come in. After a few moments, Dr. Briggs came in with a smile on her face. Brennan had grown used to seeing Dr. Briggs on a monthly basis and actually enjoyed her conversation since they were both well educated women.

"Good morning Temperance. Seeley. How are we doing today?" she asked as she shut the door behind her.

"Quite well," Brennan replied, smiling and resting her hands absentmindedly in her lap, right under her rounded stomach. This was something she'd started doing more and more as she developed a bump under her shirt. Something she didn't quite understand a reason for, other than the security of knowing her child was there.

"How have you been feeling?" Dr. Briggs continued, sitting down in the stool that was set up next to the exam table. "Any more morning sickness or nausea?"

Brennan shook her head. "Those symptoms have disappeared since I've been in my second trimester, but I have been experiencing some increased discomfort in my breasts. But that is considered normal as my body is preparing for breastfeeding."

Out of the corner of her eye, Brennan could see Booth shifting and knew that this kind of conversation made him a little discomforted. However, it was perfectly natural to talk to a doctor about these things, so she paid no mind to it. She knew that he was also used to her brash comments and inability to really filter what she said. Booth knew her best of all, so she knew that it really would not matter in the scheme of things what she said.

"Oh that is completely normal Temperance," Dr. Briggs replied as she started setting up the sonogram machine. "Are you guys ready to see your baby?"

"I think we most definitely are," she eagerly replied, smiling at Booth for a moment before laying back and lifting her shirt to expose her slightly rounded belly. It had grown significantly in the last two weeks, making her look more pregnant rather than like she'd just gained weight.

"Are we gonna be able to tell the gender today doc?" Booth asked, smiling a little.

"Hopefully, if this little one cooperates, we will be able to get a pretty good idea of the sex of the baby. The genitalia are usually very well developed at this point in the pregnancy and the baby should be just big enough, but not too big, to tell," Dr. Briggs explained as she warmed up the machine. "Once they grow larger, it's much harder to see because their legs curl up and cross without as much room to stretch out."

Brennan took a deep, sharp breath as the cold gel hit her stomach from the bottle as Dr. Briggs squeezed some on her skin. She'd forgotten how cold it really felt against the sensitive skin of her stomach, but smiled a little as the wand made contact and spread it over her bump. The first images of their child appeared on the screen in black and white, a clear outline of the life growing inside of her. The heart was beating fast, which was normal for a child in utero, but Brennan could clearly see it. She could make out the profile of their child, which was facing sideways. The baby's nose was a little round bump against the face and one of the hands was covering the side of the face, making Brennan smile. This was her child. The baby she had created with Booth in one single night of passion, comfort, trust, and letting down her guard that she had built so high throughout her life. Her breath hitched a little as she looked at the life growing inside of her.

"We made that," Booth said, somewhat in awe of the sight before them.

There were no words to describe how Brennan felt. Unexpected tears sprang to her eyes as she gazed upon the perfect profile of their baby. She had seen a sonogram before of their child, but seeing how much he or she had grown in just the past month was phenomenal. Human growth and development had always fascinated her since humans grew so quickly during their first year of life after birth, but the nine to ten months in utero were even more amazing. In just that time they went from cells to a complete organism, capable of breathing, functioning, and reproducing in the future. The creation of life was something she had never fully appreciated until she started growing a life inside of herself.

Dr. Briggs went on, moving the wand over her stomach to various parts of the baby to examine the growth and development of their child to make sure it was healthy and on the right track. She took measurements with the computer and made sure that the baby was healthy before finally turning to them. When Brennan looked at the sonogram, she turned away so she wouldn't see the gender for herself. Part of this experience was being surprised, or at least that is how Booth explained it when they discussed finding out the gender of the baby a few weeks prior.

"You're sure you want to know the sex?" she asked, holding the wand in place on Brennan's stomach.

Brennan looked to Booth, who took her hand. Turning back to her doctor, Brennan nodded indefinitely. "Yes, we do want to know."

Dr. Briggs clicked a few buttons and circled an area on the screen. "It's a healthy little girl," she declared, pointing to the screen.

"A girl?" Brennan asked, looking up to see that the doctor had been right. A tear slipped from the corner of her left eye, but she didn't bother moving to wipe it away. This was a tear of joy.

"We're having a girl," Booth repeated in shock. Brennan looked to see a grin forming on his face. One of pride and happiness.

She had suspected for a while that he was hoping for a girl, but that was understandable since he already had a son. Parker was a brilliant and lovely child that Brennan enjoyed spending time with and considered to be like her own son, which no one really knew since she kept that to herself. A little girl would make her life complete and she knew that it would for Booth too. Glancing back to the monitor, she saw her daughter's profile again. A perfect little girl. There were no adequate words for this moment other than sheer joy and happiness.

Once Dr. Briggs was done and had cleaned off her stomach, she made sure that Brennan knew the date for her next appointment before finishing her chart and excusing herself to see her next patient, leaving Brennan and Booth in the privacy of the exam room. Once she was gone, Booth reached over and put his palm flat against Brennan's still exposed stomach. Brennan watched as he leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on the top of her rounded belly before looking at her.

"Are you happy?" she asked, looking at him with questioning eyes.

He nodded and smiled. "More than you know. Are you?"

She nodded her head a few times and put her hand on the opposite side of her stomach. "Our daughter. There are no words Booth...no words I can think of to accurately describe how I feel right now." She bit her lower lip and felt a few straggler tears that escaped her eyes down her cheeks.

"This is one of the happest days of my life Bones," he said, leaning up to kiss her temple before rubbing her stomach a few times. A simple action she had come to love and appreciate in the last few weeks, especially since her stomach had begun to take the rounded shape of a pregnant woman. She never realized how little things could add up and make the bigger things even more special, like a kiss on the forehead or a stolen glance when they were at the lab. All of those things made their life at home so much better.

"I just hope she is a lot like you Booth," she finally managed to say after a few moments of being rendered speechless by the tenderness of her partner.

"And I hope that she is just like you," he replied, smiling. "Brilliant, beautiful, and confident with herself in the world."

"I guess we are at an impasse on that," she laughed, sitting up.

"I guess so," he agreed, smiling. "But we still have about five more months until we find out."

"Booth, personality isn't fully developed in infants for quite some time after birth and..." she stopped herself and laughed, knowing that she was just going way over what he meant.

Brennan pulled her shirt down and got down from the table before she and Booth left the office. On their way out, she passed the young girl still waiting in the waiting room for her turn to see a doctor. Instead of looking at the girl with judgment and disgust, she gave her a look of compassion and understanding before leaving the building with Booth. Pregnancy had changed her in a lot of ways, including how she related to others. Secretly, she wondered how becoming a mother would change her in the coming months and decided she was ready to tackle that challenge one day at a time.


	14. Second Interrogation

_Thank you all **so** much for the overwhelming support! You guys are all so amazing. I couldn't do this without any of you! If you will, please leave me a review and let me know how you're liking this so far. Thoughts? Suggestions? Guesses to the name of the baby? ;) _

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><p>"Bones, we gotta get going," Booth's voice rang out from the bottom of the platform. "They've got him in custody and we need to go."<p>

"I'm almost done Booth," she said irritably, focusing on the skull in her hand. She had looked at this skull more in the last few weeks than she had any other in the history of her career. Karson James was a little boy she was all too familiar with, even though she had never met him while he was alive. Today was the day that they were going to close the case and send it to trial, pending the confession Booth was hoping to get. If not, they had the evidence to put away the guilty party.

She had spent the better part of the last week since her doctor's appointment working on the case, putting together the evidence that they had. After running a few of the simulations through the Angelator, she knew right away that the murderer could not have been Ethan Hartford. Not only that, but he had a solid alibi that no one could disprove. Around the time of the murder, Ethan had been studying abroad in England. Booth had the story checked out and the details were legitimate, meaning that someone else had kidnapped Cassie's son and murdered him. Through some clever wording and persuasion of Caroline Julian, they were able to obtain a search warrant for the Hartford Estate in Virginia where they found the flower Hodgins found on the remains and in the clothing of Karson. During their search, Brennan took several different statues throughout the house that matched the type and size that they were looking for as possible murder weapons. After examining each with luminol, they found their weapon. A small marble statue of the goddess Venus. It was what Booth called their "smoking gun", which she did not understand, but trusted that Booth would explain it to her later.

When she was done, she set down the skull and pulled off her latex gloves before coming down the stairs. Her pregnant belly was now plainly visible under her top, which she did not try to hide now that everyone knew that she was pregnant and Booth was the father of her child. In fact, she was rather proud of her stomach as it showed Anthropologically she was a healthy female capable of producing children. In other cultures, women were revered during pregnancy for continuing the cycle of life. She was growing more used to the idea that in just five more months, she and Booth would be bringing a daughter into the world. A daughter that she loved unconditionally already, even though she didn't understand the concept behind it or why she felt this way other than the fact that nature provided hormones that bonded mother and child so mothers would take care of their children. But Booth corrected her and said that it was love. She was more apt to take his idea this time than she ever had been before.

"I am ready," she said when she reached the bottom of the stairs. "Should I get my bag?"

Booth nodded once. "We'll probably be at the Hoover a while," he replied. "If it gets too late, we'll just go straight home from there rather than doubling back here."

Nodding, Brennan walked over to her office and grabbed her satchel and phone just in case Angela or Cam needed to call her with an update from the lab about anything. As she came out of her office, Booth was already waiting for her.

"Lemme take your bag Bones," he said, holding out his hand to take her satchel from her shoulder. "I know you pack that thing down with a lot of stuff."

She made a face and kept on walking. "Booth, I am perfectly capable of carrying a five pound bag without your assistance. Women have been carrying pots of water on their head for miles, bags that weigh far more, and even older children on their hips while pregnant in other cultures. I am fine."

Booth followed her out to the car and unlocked it. She knew that he knew better than to argue with her about things like that, which was why he didn't say another word about it. At least he hadn't yet. He would be persistent about it the further into her pregnancy that she got, so she had to prepare herself for more arguments about carrying things that he deemed too heavy for her. But that was one thing about Booth that both annoyed and impressed her at the same time. He never gave up on something he believed in or wanted to do. But she'd always known this about him.

As they got to the Hoover and parked, she got out of the SUV before they went inside. Booth flashed his ID as they got to security and they went up to the interrogation rooms. Sweets was already waiting there for them. It had been a while since she had seen Sweets, but found that she enjoyed the idea of working with him...even if Psychology was a soft science she didn't put any stock into. She did enjoy bantering with him and watching him and Booth go back and forth, though she would never openly admit either of those things.

"How long has he been here?" Booth asked as they approached Sweets and looked through the glass into the interrogation room where an older gentleman was sitting.

"About twenty minutes," Sweets said, crossing his arms across his chest. "He seems quite irritated that he has been kept so long, but that is probably just his superior attitude and approach to life. He has never been kept waiting before since he comes from a priviledged background."

"Yeah, well he's gonna have to get used to that real quick," Booth sharply replied before entering the room. Brennan remained behind the glass to observe with Sweets.

"Mr. Hartford," Booth said as he entered the room and took his seat across from the Senator. "I hope you weren't waiting too long."

"Just long enough," the older man replied, pursing his lips in disapproval.

"See there," Sweets pointed out. "He is tense and rigid, signifying that he is not comfortable being here. He already resents Booth and thinks he is inferior to himself. Many Senators and men from weathier families take this attitude of superiority because they were born into money and society."

"Booth's jaw is just as tense and rigid, yet he is not from money or society," she retorted, trying to disprove Sweets' logic.

"Booth is tense for a different reason," Sweets offered quickly. "He believes in a very strict moral agenda and anything outside of that is wrong to him, especially in crimes like this where a child is involved. Because he is a father and soon-to-be father, he empathizes heavily with parents who lose children for he fears losing his own children."

Brennan chose to not reply to Sweets' comment and look back in through the mirror at Booth and Mr. Hartford as the interrogation continued.

"You were aware that your son sexually assaulted a teenager eight years ago, correct?" Booth asked, looking at him.

"I was aware that there were rumors. Completely unfounded and started by an attention seeking young lady who wanted money as settlement," he replied almost indignantly. "It was a completely unfounded claim."

"Oh, and the little boy that was born from that just popped out of nowhere?" Booth asked in reply.

"She obviously was trying to pin the child on my son to acquire monetary support for herself. It's common practice of young girls who wind up pregnant to try and get child support from a wealthy young man because they name him as the father," Mr. Hartford said with a sneer.

"We have DNA that proves your son is the father of the victim, which also proves that he raped a young woman," Booth said, slapping the photographs of Karson's remains in front of the Senator. "We also have your son's alibi for the day Karson James went missing. Tell me, how is it that Karson's blood wound up on your statue and flowers from your estate were on his remains when they were found, but Ethan was out of the country and you supposedly didn't know that Ethan had a son."

There were several tense moments of silence. Brennan could see the wheels of Booth's mind turning, like he was circling his prey. In the interrogation room, he was a feral animal attacking and circling. Nothing was more of a turn on for her than that...so she had to turn away for a few moments to keep herself from allowing her hormones to take over. From her position, she heard the exchange between the Senator and Booth. Senator Hartford was not confessing to the murder as Booth hoped he would, which meant that the trial would be a long and drawn out affair. She sighed. They had all the evidence to convict him, but according to Booth, he would likely get away with it. She was irritated with that fact because the evidence was there, but because of his Senatorial position and the fact that he had money, the justice system would skew in his favor.

A few minutes later, a very frustrated Booth came out of the interrogation room. Brennan looked to him and knew that he was not happy about what had happened in there, but was not going to talk about it right now.

"I'm going to have Caroline issue the warrant for his arrest and we'll haul him in before he can flee the country," he said, pursing his lips and clenching his jaw in frustration. "He is not going to get away with this."

"He won't Booth," she said reassuringly. "We have the evidence to convict. I am positive of this."

Brennan knew that she had it all there in her files. It was just a matter of getting a jury to believe them rather than what the defense would put together or buy off with money. She hoped that there was still some humanity in people that they would put away a man for murdering a child rather than take money for a settlement and no jail time. Statistically, most juries were out to convict murderers of children. But then again, Temperance Brennan didn't quite understand most people most of the time. She had no idea how this would go or even if there would be a conviction. It was all up to the jury seeing the evidence they had and doing the right thing.


	15. Friendly Reassurance

_Two updates in less than a day? What am I on? Thank you all so much for the continued support. I don't know where I would be without any of my beloved readers. You guys make the writing worthwhile when I see your reactions. That being said, please leave a review. I like all kinds of feedback, so please don't just read and run! I want to know your opinions!_

_This chapter came out of my head randomly as I was sitting in class yesterday and I wanted to write a chapter about Brennan's insecurities and how Angela helps her a little bit with those. I also just adore their friendship. So here you guys go! Enjoy and **review!**_

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><p>Weeks passed after the arrest of Senator Hartford. He was arraigned and charged with first degree murder, but the trial wouldn't be for months, so they had to wait and see what would happen. Ethan Hartford was also arrested on the rape and sexual assault charges, but plead guilty without contesting. Booth mentioned that he did feel guilty and showed remorse for what he had done, which surprised Brennan since he seemed so cold and calculating in their last interview. But she guessed that finding out his father had kidnapped and murdered his own son made him reevaluate his decisions.<p>

In the mean time, Cassidy was finally able to lay her son to rest; an event that was attended by all of their team at The Jeffersonian, including Brennan herself. The funeral had been incredibly touching and emotionally difficult for Cassie, who had spent so long hoping and praying to have her son returned to her safe and unharmed. Brennan even shed a few tears of her own, riveted by the thought of ever losing her own child. It was not something that she could begin to fathom, even in her darkest nightmares. Cassie thanked them all for all they had done, but stopped in front of Brennan after the funeral and especially thanked her and Booth. She told her that they had done the most and given her family peace for the first time in seven years. Brennan knew how that felt, especially after she found out what happened to her own parents. That peace of mind really did help, no matter how much she denied it.

She thought about all of that as she sat in her chair in her office. Her computer was on and whirring in front of her with a Word document open to her newest novel that she was working on, a project she had started a few days back to keep herself occupied since they didn't have a new case. Even though she didn't particularly like murder, the work that came with a new case would have kept her far busier and given her brilliant mind less time to wander. Without a set of remains to examine, she was left to her own devices and thoughts since Booth was at the Hoover Building for the day with paperwork to finish, mostly having to do with the Karson James case. She hated days when he had to do paperwork because it meant no field work and no time outside of the lab. Once upon a time, she abhorred the idea of leaving the lab because her work was there, but now that she'd been out in the field with Booth for seven years, she hated being cooped up.

Instead of typing away at her computer, she sat staring at the document that had maybe a paragraph or so written out. Her thoughts were wrapped up in other things as she absentmindedly held her hand on her well-rounded abdomen. Twenty-five weeks into her pregnancy, she was healthy and feeling great again. There was no more trace of morning sickness and her body had adjusted to carrying an infant inside of her, which meant that her stamina and well-being in general was up. Her mood was also much better as of late, meaning Booth wasn't always raking on her last nerve all the time.

"Hey sweetie," a voice called from her doorway, pulling her from her thoughts. Angela stood in the entry of her office, her hands on the pockets of her dress pants.

"Hey Ange, sorry...come in," she replied, motioning for her best friend to come in the door to join her.

"You looked pretty deep in thought," Angela said, coming over and sitting on the couch opposite of Brennan's desk. "Something on your mind?"

Leave it to Angela to know her better than she knew herself sometimes. That was a creepy similarity Angela and Booth shared that Brennan both liked and detested at the same time. They both knew when something was bothering Brennan or how to get her to talk about things she didn't want to talk about, like her past and her mother.

"Just trying to write another chapter of my new novel," she quickly lied. "I find this one is harder than it's predecessors, though I am not sure why."

"Uh huh," Angela said, completely unconvinced by her lie. "You sure it doesn't have to do with the fact that we haven't had a case in over two weeks and that your pregnancy is progressing?"

Damn Angela was good.

She sighed and pushed her chair back from her desk. "I just...I feel like I am not sure what I am getting myself into," she finally admitted. "Booth assures me that all first time parents feel this way and that even he is uncertain from time to time, but I think that it is different with me."

"Sweetie, everyone freaks out before they become parents for the first time," Angela assured her. "Hodgins and I were...nervous wrecks. I mean, you saw how Hodgins was near the end of my pregnancy when he thought I was going into labor every five seconds. I seriously thought he was going to go prematurely gray."

Brennan cracked a smile, remembering how on edge her co-worker and friend had been near the end of Angela's pregnancy. "Ange, I just feel like I won't be able to love my child the way she deserves to be loved," she said, resting both of her hands on her stomach. "I see you interact with Michael and...I am not sure I know how to do the same with my daughter."

"Everyone is different Bren...how Hodgins and I play and interact with Michael will be different than how you and Booth will interact with your daughter. I'm sure that she'll know all the bones in the human body and how to slap a hockey puck before the age of three," Angela said, smiling encouragingly. "And Michael will be chasing bugs and throwing paint on the wall when he's a toddler."

"I just...I don't want her to have the same social inadequacies that I did," Brennan said, moving her hand to the top of her stomach where she felt a small nudge. "I want her to be normal."

"She will be perfectly fine any way she turns out because she has two of the most amazing parents in the world, who love her already and want her to be happy and healthy," Angela replied, moving over and putting her hand on Brennan's.

Brennan looked up at her with a small smile. "Thank you Ange...I find myself having a lot of emotional inconsistencies with this pregnancy."

"Totally normal," she said, laughing. "You can ask Hodgins...I was a basket case late in my second trimester and into my third."

"Booth had to sleep on the couch at the beginning of my second trimester for a few nights," she admitted, laughing a little. "He got on my nerves and stole my blanket, so I kicked him out of the bed."

Angela giggled and covered her mouth. "Just wait...there will come a time where you don't want him to leave your bed...ever."

"An increased libido is fairly normal mid-pregnancy. I have experienced some of that already, although I don't think that Booth minds at this point in time." She grinned knowingly, remembering their latest sexual encounter from that morning. Without warning, she had woken him up straddling his hips and kissing his neck. He held no complaints though as they spent the morning in bed together.

"There will also be times where you don't want to be touched at all," Angela warned. "Trust me...it will be the dry spell from hell."

"I don't know what that means, but I am fairly certain that Booth will comply with whatever wishes I have," she replied, smiling.

"So...have you and Booth decided any names for this little one?" Angela asked, changing the topic a little.

A slight nod came from Brennan. "We have a few that we have thought about and are considering, but it is very difficult for us to agree on a name for her."

Brennan thought of all the conversations she and Booth had already had about their daughter's name. He didn't like some of the ones she had suggested and vice versa. It was a never ending battle of suggestions and turning them down one by one on the list. The only thing they could agree on was her middle and last name, which was something that Brennan had suggested herself without any encouragement or persuasion from Booth himself. She was proud of the fact that she had done it herself because it meant one more step in the direction of a normal life. Their relationship had gone through its ups and downs in the past seven years, but she was happy with where they were now.

"Oh, well...is she going to be a Brennan-Booth?" Angela inquired, sitting back.

Brennan shook her head. "She is going to be a Booth. No hyphenation."

The look on Angela's face gave away her surprise. "Wow. Who's idea was that?" she asked.

"It was my own," she explained passively. "I wanted her to have one last name to be less complicated. And her brother is a Booth, so I think that she deserves to be one too. Booth was thrilled when I told him about it and is very proud to be having a daughter."

Angela grinned. "Oh I know sweetie. He shows off the sonogram picture to everyone all the time."

"I am glad that he is involved with this pregnancy. I truly am and I have no idea where I would be without him here to help, even if it is unneccessary at times," she said, smiling. "Rebecca denied him the privilege of helping with Parker while she was pregnant and while he was a newborn. I don't want him to miss out on that twice."

"You're a good person Bren," Angela smiled. "And you are going to be a great mom because you already care about her so much. I can see that, even if you can't."

A faint smile traced Brennan's lips as she leaned back in her computer chair, holding her hands around her stomach. She still had some insecurities about becoming a mother, but she felt a little more secure with herself and her abilities to have this child. Her daughter was already loved and greatly anticipated by many people in their life, but she above them all was looking forward to meeting the little girl that she had come to love and know. Part of her wondered what it was going to be like that first moment when she looked into her daughter's eyes and knew that the child in her arms was hers. But another part, one that was much larger, wondered how it would feel to hold her child during her first few moments of life. She still had fifteen more weeks to wait. Patience was not something that Temperance Brennan had or learned. But with Booth's help, she was going to make it through the next three months.


	16. A Children's Story

**_Three _**_updates in less than a week? Who am I and what have I done with myself? I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It's kind of shorter and mostly fluffy, but it explains a lot about the name of the baby. Also a little about Brennan's past. I thoroughly am enjoying writing this story for you all and hope you're enjoying it as well. Thank you all for the continued support and readership. I will say that I hope you will leave me a review. No matter if it's good, bad, short, or long...I accept all kinds of feedback and in fact, I really need it. So **please** read and **review** before closing out the chapter!_ _It is really what helps me keep going with this project. I aim to finish it before November!_

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><p>Brennan laid out on the couch in her office, tracing the outline of her stomach through her maternity top with her fingers. Her daughter was awake and moving about, randomly punching and kicking a kidney every now and then, causing her some mild discomfort. Her free hand held a book as she read aloud to her child. It was a children's book she had picked out a few weeks ago on a whim when she was browsing through a bookstore for something new to read out of the educational journals. She'd gone to the children's section out of curiousity to see what they had that she could pick up since Booth explained to her that reading from the American Journal of Anthropology was not something a child would want to hear. She browsed the section for quite some time, relaying her own thoughts and critiques of the different books to her daughter, especially ones that had talking animals. But when she found this particular book, she could not ignore it and bought it for her child.<p>

The words flowed from her voice in a steady, calming rhythm that the baby seemed to like as she fluttered around slower than before, almost like she was going to sleep. Brennan smiled as she kept reading aloud. When she finished, she put the book down on the table next to her couch and ran both of her hands over her rounded belly. She was just shy of twenty-nine weeks pregnant and feeling like it would never end. Her cravings were getting worse as of late and Booth was making more three am trips to the grocery store than anyone else she knew. Part of her psyche knew that it was irrational to want watermelon at two or three in the morning, but she just couldn't ignore the craving. And Booth was not about to let her go by herself at that time of night, even though she insisted that she would be perfectly safe. However, there were some upsides to her pregnancy that she was enjoying. The baby had begun to kick enough so that it could be felt on the outside; something that Booth relished in and loved. Truthfully, she loved watching him as he'd put his hands on her stomach and feel their daughter kick. It reminded her that Anthropologically speaking, he was her mate. But even she knew that it was so much more than that.

"She kicking again?" a voice asked from behind the couch, bringing her out of her thoughts and into the present. She smiled, immediately recognizing Booth's voice behind her.

"Just settling down actually," she replied, moving to a sitting position to make room for him next to her on the couch.

Booth walked around and sat by her, placing his palm on her belly just in time to feel a swift kick from the baby. "Whoa! Hey there little one," he said, grinning proudly. "Was that just for me?"

"I am positive that she did not just kick for you Booth. Infants use movement as a means of exploring their environment and perimeters," she said, laughing. "Although, she is at a point in development where she can hear sounds outside of the womb at a close range."

"Nah, I think she knew it was me," Booth countered with a smirk, still holding his palm to her stomach.

There were a few moments of silence between them as she watched how tenderly he touched her stomach. She was reminded of why this was so important to him. Rebecca had denied him so much while she was pregnant with Parker, but she could not do that to him now. He was so in love with the idea of being involved and being a parent to their daughter that she could never tell him no. Booth was an excellent father. Brennan knew that first-hand from the way he'd interacted with his son over the years and knew that he would be a great father to their daughter.

"Stella," she finally said, looking into his eyes. "Stella Christine Booth."

"I like that," he smiled. "Where did it come from?"

"I don't want to tell you. You'll laugh," she said, looking down at her lap somewhat embarrassed.

"No I won't Bones," he assured her, putting his fingers under her chin to bring her gaze back to his.

"It's from a children's book," she explained, taking a deep breath. "When I was seventeen, I lived in a foster home where I had a younger foster sister named Katelyn. She was only five-years-old at the time and would always want to have the same book read to her at night before bed. It was the only way she would calmly go to sleep and since our foster parents had no patience to read to her, I offered to in order to keep her quiet. The book was called Stellaluna. In the story a common fruit bat gets separated from her mother and seeks to find her. Katelyn loved it because she hoped she would find her mother someday."

Brennan paused and took a deep breath. "Even though I knew that it is impossible for a bat to talk, I felt...empathy. I'd lost my parents two years earlier and had no clue as to what happened to them."

She looked at Booth, slightly teary eyed after her confession. Never before had she told someone about that since it was so personal and close to home for her. But since Booth was part of her life now, she felt that he deserved to know.

"That is a really special story Bones," he said, moving his hand to touch hers. "Her name will be perfect and you can tell her that story someday when she's old enough to understand how she got her name."

"You don't think that it's foolish to name a child after a book?" she asked, looking at him with concern laced in her eyes. She still was not sure how she felt about calling her child after a children's book about a bat.

"But the book has meaning to you Bones," he replied. "It's special to you for a whole different reason because you can relate to it. You could relate to your foster sister since neither of you had parents in your lives at that point."

She nodded and leaned over, laying her head on his chest. Laying back on the couch, he bought her with him as she settled against his chest. As she laid on her side against him, the side of her stomach resting against his abdomen, she reached over and picked up the book she had been reading to the baby just a few minutes earlier. The cover was dark blue with a picture of a bat on the front and the word "_Stellaluna_" written at the top in white. She turned it to him and smiled.

"I saw it the other day in the book store and bought it because I was reminded of that story," she said, holding the book out in front of her so he could see it.

"I'm sure that you'll read it to her a lot more once she is born," he said, kissing the top of her head. "She'll know exactly where her name comes from early in life."

Brennan nodded and kept her head resting against his chest as she looked at the book. Her daughter would have a unique name in that the meaning came from something else. Most children were named for a family member or from a baby book that the parents bought. To her knowledge, her parents had named her Joy originally because of how they felt when she was born. But why they had chosen Temperance Brennan other than convenience of using someone's identity that came from a family who had two children, she had no idea. But she wanted her daughter to have a name that meant something. A name she could come back to when she was older and understand why she was named that. Stella was a way to honor the past and who she had once been as well as the person Brennan had become as a professional and in her personal life. Her middle name would honor the mother that Brennan had longed to know again and the grandmother Stella would never know. She hoped that one day she would be able to tell her daughter all she knew about Christine Brennan and that Stella would understand why her grandmother had left. Until then, she just wanted to get through the rest of the pregnancy and meet her daughter for the first time.


	17. Dad To Dad

_The support I have received for this story has been overwhelming! I love you all so much and appreciate every single one of the reviews I have been given. It truly does mean a lot to read each one and smile that you took time out of your day to reply to my story. Please keep those coming. I love getting feedback and welcome it. Let me know what you think about this story. _

_This chapter is Booth and Hodgins because, come on, who doesn't love a little conversation between them about daddy anxieties? Please **read** and **review!**_

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><p>Booth walked into the Jeffersonian, swiping his card to get to the forensic platform. He had done that countless times since Brennan had gotten him his own ID card, but the beeping sound never got old to him. He was part of the team, even if it was part of the Squint Squad. They had become part of his family over the past seven years. Even Sweets, who once annoyed the living daylights out of him, was like a younger brother now. Although, he would never tell him that since he didn't want him getting too close. But that was just how their relationship and family worked.<p>

After swiping his card, he walked over to Hodgins, who was looking at something under a microscope. That was something he was used to and had seen time and again over the years.

"Heya Hodgins," he said, coming up behind him.

Hodgins jumped a little and looked at him. "Hey Booth. You shouldn't sneak up on a man like that."

"Sorry," he apologized, chuckling. "Guess I'm just used to it after all these years."

"Yeah...you'd think I would be too," Hodgins quipped, laughing after a moment. "Then again, I am the conspiracy theorist here, so I'm always on edge."

"Whatever you say Hodgins," he said, shaking his head with laughter. "Have you seen Bones this morning?"

"Not since she and Angela took off to get some maternity clothes or something," Hodgins replied, looking back into his microscope. "Angela insisted Dr. B get out of the lab since she was going stir crazy without a case or something productive to work on. They took Michael and left about...thirty minutes ago."

Booth nodded and sat down in one of the rolling chairs on the platform, straightening out his tie and jacket. It was unusual and rare for him to be at the lab when Brennan wasn't, so he had no idea what to do with himself exactly. Cam was probably busy with paperwork, so he figured staying on the platform with Hodgins was the next best option. Then again, he and Hodgins usually got along pretty well. Except those rare times when Hodgins went off on one of his conspiracy tangents. Otherwise, he was a pretty decent and nice guy to hang out with.

"So, you and Dr. B getting ready for that baby girl?" Hodgins asked, smiling and taking a seat near him in another of the computer chairs.

"Yeah, we just went and picked out the nursery furniture," he replied, grinning proudly. "I think Angela is actually doing a mural on the wall. I need to ask her about the details of that since it's kind of a surprise for Bones."

"Angie mentioned something about that actually," Hodgins said, scratching his scruff-covered jaw. "She said that you two were working on the design and that it would be unique to Dr. B. and the baby."

Booth nodded. "I wanted something special for Bones to have for our daughter. This pregnancy has changed a lot of things in our lives, but in good ways."

"I've seen it, even here in the lab," Hodgins replied. "There are days when she is very emotional and Angela has to take her aside to make sure she is okay, but overall she is much more attuned to the emotional climate of the room."

"That is definitely a pregnancy thing," Booth laughed. "Her mood swings are lethal at home. She tries to explain it with logic and it just winds up making her more upset."

"Sounds about right," Hodgins chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "You ready to be a dad again? It's been ten years since your last...how's that feeling?"

That was something that had been weighing on Booth's mind lately. It had been over ten years since Parker was born and quite a few since he'd held a newborn baby. Even though he was confident in his skills for taking care of his daughter once she was born, every new father had anxiety. His anxiety mostly stemmed from the fact that he was having a girl. Every father dreaded the day when his little girl grew up and discovered the world of dating. Booth especially dreaded that because he knew that his daughter was going to be every bit as beautiful as her mother...which would only make it worse.

"Truth be told...nervous as hell," Booth admitted. "Having a son is one thing and Parker has been one easy kid to raise, but a daughter is an entirely different story. She is going to be beautiful like her mom, so my handguns are not going away for a long time."

An eruption of laughter broke from Hodgins gut as he looked at Booth and nodded. "Dude, you aren't gonna have a chance," he said. "If your daughter even looks one bit like Dr. B, you are gonna have boys knocking at your front door for _years_, starting when she hits middle school."

Booth groaned. "Don't even get me started," he shook his head. "I've been having the same argument with Bones about this. I don't want her dating until she's thirty. Bones says that is too harsh and suggests we let her start when she's sixteen. But I know boys that age and I know the one thing on their minds. And it is not happening to my little girl."

"Good luck winning that argument with her...or any one after for that matter," Hodgins smirked. "If there is one thing I learned early on with Angie...there is no bargaining with a pregnant woman. No matter how rational she is, once the hormones take over, you'll never win."

A frown crossed Booth's face, but he knew that Hodgins was right. Hormones were something to never be bargained with. Even if Brennan was a rational and intelligent person otherwise, there was no controlling her hormones when she hit her mood swings. One second she would be fine and the next she was sobbing uncontrollably for no reason. It was hell living at home with that, but worth it when he thought about how far they had come in seven years. There were moments when there was complete bliss in their household and other times, like this morning when she figured out that she could no longer fit into one of her favorite maternity tops, that it was total and utter chaos. But out of the chaos came something far more beautiful and perfect; life. A life with Temperance Brennan that he had only dreamed about years ago. He had taken a risk and gone with his gut instinct that night after Vincent's death when Brennan came to his room seeking comfort, but it was a gamble that had won him the jackpot.

"Even without the hormones I never win," he cracked, looking at Hodgins with a grin. "Have you seen Bones and I argue? It's like trying to fight a brick wall. Once she has set herself on one answer, there is hardly any budging her."

Hodgins cracked a grin. "Don't I know it man," he said, shaking his head. "I've been butting heads with her far longer than you."

"But the thing about Bones is...when she realizes she is wrong, she admits it," Booth offered, knowing that it was true. There were instances when she took his side of things and agreed with what he had to say about some stuff, like making love. But more often than not, they were bickering like an old married couple.

"Touche," Hodgins said, nodding in agreement. "Have you and Dr. B. decided on a name for the little one yet?"

Booth nodded and grinned. "Stella Christine," he replied proudly. "Bones came up with it all on her own and I loved it."

"That's a good name, Booth. Angie says she's going to be a Booth kid, is that true?"

"Yeah, Bones said that she would rather our daughter have my last name than a hyphenated one. She said that Rebecca took so much from me during her pregnancy and when Parker was a kid that she didn't want to do the same to me with our daughter," he explained, looking over at Hodgins from his seat.

A smile spread across Hodgins' face. "Dr. B. is a lot more intuitive than people give her credit for. She has compassion deep down inside of her that no one ever really sees. Something that sets her apart from everyone else."

"I know she does...I've always known it was there, but buried underneath all the pain and hurt that she experienced in the past," he said, moving his jacket to cover more of his chest. "Someone just needed to let her build that trust to open herself up."

"I'm glad that was you. She needed to find someone to trust and to help her. You gave her that Booth and I think that everyone that works here is thankful that you came into our lives."

Booth smiled and reached out, shaking Hodgins' hand. From the moment he started working with The Jeffersonian, he had been a part of a whole other family. The people he worked with on a daily basis were his brothers and sisters, people that he could rely on when he needed something or someone to talk to. Even though he didn't share his life often with them, they were always there to help him out when necessary. And then he had Brennan. She was the woman he had fallen in love with unexpectedly. When they met, he had no idea what to make of her other than she was blunt, extremely intelligent, and good at what she did. But over the course of that first case they worked together, he fell in love with her. And from that moment on, there was no denying what he felt. Everyone, especially those who worked in close quarters with them, constantly asked if they were together and the answer had always been no. At least until recently.

It had taken years of partnership, building trust, and chipping at the wall that Temperance Brennan had built to barricade herself in to finally get inside her heart. But now that he had, there was no way that he was ever going to hurt her or let anyone else do that. Booth had made a solemn promise that he would always protect her and their daughter from any harm that would come their way, regardless of what it would cost him. He loved them both with all of his heart, just as he loved his son. They were his little family. And no matter if he and Brennan weren't married, they were still together and that was what ultimately mattered to Booth. Happiness was right there in the palms of his hands and finally attainable for him. He didn't know what the future would hold for them, but he did know that whatever happened, they would face it together.


	18. Not Gonna Survive This Pregnancy

_I am really enjoying this story so much! It's a lot of fun to write Brennan's pregnancy and all the fun stuff that comes with that. I am so thankful to all of my readers and those who review. I would like more feedback about how I'm doing, so if you could please leave me a **review** that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all so much for your love and support during this story and I can't wait to give you guys some more!_

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><p>It had been the longest night of Brennan's life as she tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable any way she turned. Being in her third trimester of pregnancy had really taken it's toll on her in ways that she had not expected. While she was still active and very much still working, much to Booth's dismay, sleeping at night was becoming harder and harder since Stella was active. Her quarters were becoming cramped as her due date inched closer, meaning even the slightest movement was something that Brennan felt. As she laid on her side, she watched Booth sleeping next to her and envied him. Men never had to put up with half of the things that women did during pregnancy. The only real inconvenience she had put upon him was getting up at three in the morning from time to time to get her something from the store that she was craving.<p>

Watching him sleep, she thought about the last few months of her life. Everything had taken a complete one-eighty turn from where it was going the day that Vincent Nigel-Murray died. That night she had finally let down the defenses she had spent so long building and allowed Booth in. It was in that single night and single act of trust that their daughter was conceived. She was going to be the center of their world now and Brennan wondered what kind of mother she would be. Everyone seemed to believe in her and her ability to become a mother, but she couldn't help but wonder if her own social awkwardness would impair her when Stella was older. Would Stella be embarrassed of her at school functions? Or would she ignore her when she was in high school and too cool to be seen with her mom? Those were things that Brennan worried about late at night and hoped wouldn't come true.

Those thoughts, along with Stella sitting right on her bladder, sent Brennan from her bed to the bathroom. After washing her hands and splashing some cold water on her face, she crept from the bedroom out into her living room. A lot of her furniture had been moved around recently as well as some of her artifacts being moved into storage as she and Booth baby-proofed her apartment. It was strange to see her place so different, but a little warming at the same time. Her life was changing and she was at peace with that. Going into the kitchen, she made herself some tea before putting on the coffee for Booth, who would be up any minute now since it was after six in the morning. A huge yawn escaped her lips as she heard Booth padding into the kitchen in his sweatpants with no shirt on. She smiled at him as he came into the kitchen and poured a glass of coffee.

"No sleep again?" he asked sleepily.

She nodded once. "Stella was moving most of the night and laying on my bladder the other part," she explained, sitting down on one of the stools at the bar.

"Maybe we could try something else to get her to sleep at night?" he suggested, taking a sip of his coffee. "A walk at night before bed or something like it to lull her to sleep."

"Sexual intercourse is said to have a rocking effect on infants in utero," she replied, lifting her cup of tea to her lips, hiding the obvious grin behind it.

Booth all but choked on his coffee as he pulled it away from his mouth and set the cup down, cringing at the hot liquid that spilled on his chest. Immediately grabbing a towel from the sink, he wiped it off and looked at her. She couldn't help but laugh at him, biting her lower lip to keep from chuckling out loud.

"You don't beat around the bush, do you Bones?" he asked, looking at her.

"I don't know what that means," she replied, still trying not to laugh at the spilled coffee that was now on Booth's grey sweatpants.

"It means you say what you mean without using any kind of embellishing," he explained, cleaning up the rest of the mess and sitting back down.

"Oh," she replied, understanding what he meant. "Well, if you would be open to the suggestion, then I would be too."

"It is still safe for the baby?" he asked, looking at her.

"Booth, sexual intercourse is perfectly safe up until birth. Even the doctor has told us many times during our visits. Besides, many women actually use it to induce labor when they go past their due date." She took another sip of her tea and put the cup on the bar counter, resting her hand on her abdomen.

"We can talk about it tonight, okay?" he asked, looking at her with a smile. It was one of the many reasons she adored him. He'd always had the same...Boothy smile from the very beginning of their partnership.

Before she could reply, both of their cell phones went off. Getting off the chair, she went to the bedroom along with Booth so they could answer them. On the other line, Cam explained that they had a new case and they needed them to go out to the scene. Brennan agreed that she would come up to the lab and get the supplies needed before heading out into the field with Booth. As she hung up the phone, she looked over at Booth who had seemingly just gotten off the phone with his boss. They both were thinking the same thing as they got dressed and went up to the lab within an hour. Brennan got her newer coveralls, fitted to hold her growing baby bump, and the case before they went out to the scene.

The scene was a secluded forest just outside of Washington DC, so Booth parked his SUV toward the edge of the area before they got out and started walking toward the lines of police tape. Booth flashed his ID badge as did Brennan before they were allowed to proceed down to the scene where the body had been found. As they walked, Booth reached out for the case of equipment she was carrying.

"Look there's lots of rocks and mud...and stuff. Here, let me have the case," he said as he reached to take it from her.

Defensively, she pulled it back from him and shook her head. "Amniotic fluid, the placenta, and uterine wall are more than enough protections. Just think of the baby as...bubble wrapped."

"Yeah...I'd rather not. Let me have the case here," he said as he reached for it another time.

She dodged him and went around him to get down to the scene. "Booth! For centuries, pregnant women have been carrying bales of hay, jugs of water on their heads, and then...squatting in the fields to have their children. Don't worry."

"Whoa! Squatting in the fields...there ain't gonna be any squatting in the fields!"

Brennan set her case down as she got down to the scene and began to open it. "What? Squatting is a..great position to give birth!"

"Well...there ain't gonna be any squatting..and squat...you're not gonna squat. You squat down on things, that could be dangerous! No squatting...there's not gonna be any squatting." Booth put his hands on his holster and looked around to the other officers and Hodgins, who were all at the scene already.

"I'm gonna squat right now," she said, going to work on the remains that she had been called out to identify.

"No you can't...I'm never gonna be able to survive this pregnancy. I'm tellin' ya, it's gonna be..." he exhaled sharply, curving his lips into an "o" before glancing at Hodgins, who was almost laughing at him.

Brennan ignored his commentary and started to work on the remains at hand. She knew that she was only allotted a few more cases before her maternity leave would start and even less than that number that she would be allowed out into the field. Her doctor had forbidden her out in the field past thirty-five weeks, which was quickly approaching in a few weeks time, so she wanted to do as much as she could now out in the field, within the limitations of her own physical ability, before she was restricted to the lab before giving birth. Pulling on her gloves, she looked at the remains and saw that they were of a young female, around the mid-twenties in age. Looking closer at the pelvis, she could see that the woman had given birth. She was a mother. And that struck a chord. Brennan felt her chest tighten as tears welled up and she started to become emotional. A small sob escaped her lips.

"Everything alright Bones?"

"I'm just experiencing emotional inconsistencies due to...pregnancy." She had never felt her hormones take over this much during a case and it made her feel inadequate since she was supposed to be impartial to every case. But as of late, cases like this really struck home for her since she was about to become a mother herself.

"I gotta get a picture of this one ah," Booth said excitedly as he pulled out his phone from his pocket and attempted to take a picture of Brennan.

Immediately she flung her hand up in defense to knock the phone away, irritated at him. "Stop it Booth!"

The rest of the morning was spent at the scene, collecting evidence and particulates to send back to the Jeffersonian. Once they were finished, Brennan packed up her things and Booth drove her back to the lab where they started working on the remains as they arrived from the scene. While she worked, she thought about her little breakdown and decided it was all hormone induced. Her pregnancy hormones were making her a little more on edge than usual, which was making her irritated. At this point in her pregnancy, she was ready to be done and have her little girl in her arms rather than sitting on her bladder or kidneys. Booth was being kind to her for every time she snapped at him for something small, like leaving the toilet seat up or not getting something she asked him for on the way home because he forgot. They were still figuring out how to be a couple while retaining their professional partnership, which was easier said than done sometimes, especially since she was pregnant and Booth was overprotective more often than not. But they were learning.


	19. Wonder Woman No More

_Thank you all so much for the continued love and outpouring for this story! I am thoroughly enjoying all the reviews and the writing involved with making this story happen. I'm hoping to have another chapter up by the end of this weekend, but don't know as of yet if it will happen. However, **reviews** are always an incentive if you'd like to see it go up faster_! _I thrive as a writer from feedback, so please let me know what you're thinking about this story! I love you all._

_This chapter is also dedicated to the lovely Emily Deschanel and husband, David Hornsby, who delivered their beautiful baby boy Henry Hornsby yesterday, September 21, 2011! Happy birthday little boy and congratulations to the proud parents!_

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><p>Brennan sighed, looking into her closet longingly at her Wonder Woman costume hanging up at the end of her clothing rack. Every year for the past ten years or more, she had worn the same costume to the annual Halloween part at the Jeffersonian, but this year she would not be able to because of her pregnancy. Frowning, she looked down at her rounded belly and rubbed it gently, knowing that the sacrifice of her favorite costume for a year would be well worth it because she was bringing her daughter into the world in a little under two months. But she still felt a tinge of disappointment that she wouldn't be a superhero for a night. In fact, she didn't even have a costume for the party at all. Shaking her head, she walked out of the closet and heard her phone ringing from the bedside table. As hurriedly as she could manage to walk over, she grabbed it.<p>

"Brennan," she said, answering it.

"Hey sweetie," Angela's voice chimed from the other end of the line.

"Hey Ange," she said, going to sit on her bed. "Is there something wrong at the lab?"

"Oh no, not at all! I was just calling to see if you'd found a costume for the party yet."

Brennan frowned. "No," she replied, pouting a little to herself. "I find that the acceptable choices for pregnant women's Halloween costumes is very limited."

"Oh sweetie, we'll fix that," Angela assured her with confidence and a grin that Brennan could hear in her voice. "I'll come pick you up in a few minutes."

"Okay...are you sure?" She didn't want to impose on Angela now that she had Michael to take care of more often than not since she and Hodgins had chose not to hire a nanny.

"It's perfectly fine, Bren. Michael is out with his dad today, doing guy things so we have the whole afternoon to ourselves to shop and do whatever we want."

"Oh, alright," she said. "I'll meet you outside my apartment as soon as you arrive."

"Be there in fifteen." With that Angela hung up and Brennan made her way toward the outside of her apartment, picking up her bag and leaving a note for Booth that she would be back later and where she was going.

The shopping trip with Angela was surprisingly successful, with a bunch of side trips along the way, including a maternity outlet in the mall for a few more tops that would last her through the rest of her pregnancy. They chatted about her latest cravings for chocolate covered watermelon at two in the morning and Michael's progress toward pulling himself up on his own. Conversation flowed easily between them about their lives and how different it all seemed than it was a year and a half ago when they were all in their own separate worlds, miles apart from each other. Brennan herself knew that she had changed in the last year, especially, and felt beyond happy that she had finally hit a wall where rationality didn't explain what she felt. Angela often gloated that she had been right all along, much to her chagrin. It was one of those afternoons where Brennan was thankful to have Angela there to help her understand why stuff like cravings and intense mood swings were happening to her and how to best deal with them when her usual mantra of rationality wasn't working.

When she returned home, she found Booth sleeping in a sitting position on the couch and smiled to herself. He was still in his work suit, but the jacket was laid over the back of the couch carelessly and his shirt was unbuttoned with his tie loosened. It was one of the sexiest things she had ever seen in her life and admittedly, she liked dating a man that came home and relaxed like that. There was something rugged about it that turned her on in a way that no other man had ever turned her on before. Booth was definitely the alpha male and exhibited all the qualities of that sort of man. But where he was the alpha male, she was the alpha female. They clashed more than any other partnership and couple she had ever seen, but that worked for them. She didn't know how, but it just did. All the bickering and constant opposing points of view on just about everything brought them together because in their differences, they learned to appreciate and respect the other.

Gently setting her keys on the table, she put her bags in the chair opposite of the couch before coming over and sitting beside him. The television was on to a hockey game that Brennan didn't recognize. Then again, she wasn't very big into sports or keeping up with the teams the way Booth was. She took the remote and muted the television before looking back at him. Booth stirred for a moment before his eyes popped open and looked her, slightly surprised to see her sitting next to him.

"Hey," she said softly, smiling at him.

Booth rubbed his eyes to wake himself up a little more. "When did you get home, Bones?" he asked sleepily.

"Just a few moments ago...how long have you been home?" she asked in reply, resting one hand on her rounded stomach where Stella firmly kicked in response to her mother's touch.

"I got off around four and came straight home, saw your note and got comfortable with the Flyers game on television," he answered, chuckling. "How was your shopping trip with Angela?"

"Successful. I was able to purchase some maternity tops to last the rest of the pregnancy...and a costume for the Halloween party," she grinned a little.

"Oh?" he inquired, perking up a little. "No Wonder Woman this year...so what will you be?" She could see the curiousity behind his eyes and knew that look when she saw it. He was interested in how appealing this new costume was.

"You're not allowed to see it until the Halloween party," she said, smirking with satisfaction that she now had something to hold over his head.

"Aw come on Bones, don't I even get a peek?" he asked, pouting out his lower lip in defiance.

She shook her head and laughed. "Patience Booth. You'll get to see it in a few days. Until then, Angela is keeping it at her place so there is no temptation for you to sneak into my closet."

Booth snorted. "Me? Peek? Pffft so not true."

"You know you would try," she countered with a grin. "Admit it."

"Okay, so maybe I'd be a little curious...but can ya blame me?" he asked in reply, laughing. "Your Wonder Woman costume really threw me off that first year I saw you wearing it, so I never know what to expect with you. So I'm just a little curious."

Brennan smiled widely. "You were attracted to me in the Wonder Woman costume. It was fairly obvious by your candor and inability to look away."

"Yeah Bones...I was," he admitted with a grin before leaning over to steal one quick kiss from her. "And I still believe you are the standard to all others."

"Even now that I am pregnant and weigh more than I did before?" she asked, looking him in the eyes.

"You always were and will always be the standard, no matter what," he assured her, kissing her forehead. There were a few moments of silence before he looked in her eyes again. "Can I please have a hint as to what the costume is?"

"Booth!" she said, playfully smacking him before grinning. "No, you may not. And I won't tell you no matter how many times you ask me."

Brennan honestly couldn't wait for Halloween now because the costume Angela had helped her pick out made her feel sexy, which was something she had not felt in a long while during her pregnancy. When Booth finally saw it on the day of the party, she hoped that he would be speechless and captivated by her like he was the moment he saw her in her Wonder Woman costume. Being pregnant had made Brennan realize that there was so much more to being attractive than being thin. Booth liked her body the way it was, pregnancy curves and all, which made her feel appreciated and wanted. She was thankful for him and the fact that she had finally been able to tear down the wall that had kept them apart in the first place. She wanted him to know how much she truly cared for him as a partner, friend, lover, and father of her daughter. Someday she would be able to show him just how much.


	20. Halloween

_I am so, so thankful to all of my reviewers. You have really made this worth writing and to keep going. This is something that I'm very proud of and can't wait to see where it goes in the next few chapters, especially leading up to the baby's birth! Please leave a **review** and let me know what you think of Brennan's costume and the little conversations. :) Plus reviews give me a little more incentive to update faster for you guys. I love you all and can't wait to see your thoughts!_

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><p>Brennan looked in the mirror in Angela's bedroom as Angela made the finishing touches on her hair and makeup. They had been getting ready the better part of the afternoon because of Brennan's constant need to use the bathroom because Stella was sitting on her bladder as of late. But they were almost done, much to her relief. The eye-liner was dramatic and drew out the color of her cerulean eyes, which she knew would draw Booth's attention right away. Her plunging v-neck dress would also undoubtedly arouse his interest as it showed off just the right amount of cleavage that would drive him insane. That, coupled with the fit of the dress and the fact that she and Booth had not been intimate in a few days, told Brennan that Booth would be very appreciative of her costume. But though she knew that and Angela had assured her many times that she looked "hot" when they had purchased the costume a few days prior, but she still felt unsure about it.<p>

"Angela, are you certain that this costume is flattering?" she asked, looking down at her chest and protruding stomach.

"Sweetie, if Booth isn't drooling over you by the end of the night, then my name isn't Angela Montenegro," Angela smirked, moving back to admire her work.

"You name _is_ Angela Montenegro..." she said, arching her eyebrow.

"Then the costume is hot and I'm right," the artist replied, grinning.

A small smirk came to Brennan's lips as she realized her friend's logic. In all the years that she had known Angela, her best friend was one of the few people that could help Brennan understand the world they lived in from the pop culture and social stand point. She remembered a night from many years before when Angela insisted that they go out to a club to have a girls night out. While they were there, she almost caused a fight over a simple misunderstanding of colloquial terms, but Angela helped to diffuse the situation to something less harmful...at least until they discovered a body hidden in the wall and inadvertently got high. But that was just part of the lives that they lived. And Angela was good about being the go-between in situations like that, just like Booth was when they were out in the field together or in a social setting.

"Come on," Angela said, picking up her son from his playpen. Michael was dressed up as a skeleton, which Brennan commented on being inaccurate but cute. "The men are waiting downstairs. Hodgins is dressed up as Captain Jack Sparrow, so he's dying to show it off to everyone at the party."

Brennan rose from her seat and grabbed her bag. "I wasn't aware that there was a Captain Jack Sparrow in any of the history books," she said, heading toward the door.

"No, no sweetie...it's a fictional character from the movies," Angela replied, grabbing Michael's diaper bag and putting it over her shoulder.

"Oh..and who are you supposed to be again?" Brennan asked as she walked out the door toward the stairs leading down to the entryway of the Hodgins apartment.

"I'm Audrey Hepburn," Angela said, grinning from ear to ear as she went down the stairs carefully with her son on her hip. "She was an actress in the 1950s and 60s, famous for _Roman Holiday_, _Breakfast At Tiffany's_, and _Sabrina_."

A small nod came from Brennan as she descended down the stairs behind Angela, not really knowing who she was talking about in the first place. She seemed so far out of touch with popular culture, minus the few small things here and there that she knew about like _The Mummy_ and Cyndi Lauper. But other than those things, she knew very little about the pop culture world that she lived in now. Booth helped though, as did Angela and Hodgins. Having them to help made her feel a little less disconnected from the world.

When she made it to the bottom of the stairs, she turned into the living room to find Hodgins and Booth waiting for them. The moment Booth's eyes met her, she could see the grin across his face. Angela went over to Hodgins with Michael in her arms while Brennan stepped forward to Booth. He took her hand and looked down and back up before smiling.

"Do you like it?" she asked, looking into his eyes. "It's Queen Cleopatra. Angela insisted it was appropriate because I am pregnant and historically, Cleopatra was pregnant twice."

"You look...wow Bones," Booth said, completely speechless. "You look beautiful."

Angela and Hodgins took Michael out to their car, leaving Booth and Brennan alone for a few moments. For that, she was thankful to them. Booth leaned in and kissed her forehead, making her smile and lick her bottom lip.

"You really do," he insisted. "The most beautiful woman there tonight is going to be you."

"You can't know that...you don't know half of the staff and employees at The Jeffersonian that are going to be attending the party. How could you know that I will be the most attractive one there?" she asked.

"Because, there is no one else that is more beautiful than you," he replied easily. "Do you remember when I said you were the standard?"

She nodded once and looked into his chocolate brown eyes, a source of comfort for her over the past few years. "I do."

"It's still true. And will always be true for me," he said, taking her hand. "You are the standard because you are beautiful inside and out. You are carrying our daughter. And you are the best partner I have ever had."

A smile came across her face as she let the words sink in and believed them. Booth had once told her that what was between them was just that...between them. What they had was different and special from any other relationship she had in her life. They were partners, friends, lovers, and soon-to-be parents of a little girl that she loved already. After giving him a chaste kiss on the lips, she went out to the SUV that Booth had drove over to pick her up. Climbing in, she smiled and put on her seatbelt before they left for the party.

When they returned to the apartment that night after the party, completely worn out from the dancing and conversation that they had engaged in, Brennan slipped into the bedroom to change out of her costume. Booth followed and wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his hands on her rounded stomach. She smiled and relaxed against his broad chest, which still had the button up shirt from his costume as a guy from _Men in Black_, or so he said. She didn't understand the reference, but he looked pretty attractive in his suit with the black sunglasses. As she rested against his chest, Stella started to kick, making her smile and Booth laugh a little.

"I think she knows it's nearly time to sleep, which is why she's up now," he said, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Most infants become more active between the hours of nine pm and one am," she said, smiling and putting her hand over his. "She is definitely an acrobat inside there...but not for much longer. She will run out of room closer to my due date."

"Which is coming up in a few weeks," he added.

She nodded in agreement. "We should start putting together the nursery furniture before I'm too large to move and be of any use," she said indefinitely, closing her eyes to rest for a moment against his comforting embrace. This was a first for Brennan as she usually never got this intimate with someone. Booth was a lot of firsts for her.

"Oh no, you're not doing any of the furniture stuff," he said firmly. "I already got Hodgins coming over this weekend to help me put together the crib and stuff. Angela is taking you out for a girls day."

"Booth! I'm fully capable of helping out. I'm pregnant, not incapacitated by any means," she quipped, turning around in his arms to face him. "I know that you have this...alpha male drive to protect me because I'm carrying your child, but I am perfectly capable of doing things...as we've previously discussed."

"I know you are Bones, but that stuff is heavy and...well, I don't want anything happening to you or Stella. I wouldn't forgive myself if anything did. Please...humor me?" he asked, looking into her eyes pleadingly. She had not seen Booth like this in a long time, at least in the sense where he was so worried about her. The last time she had seen him like this was when the Gravedigger buried her alive.

"Okay," she conceded, putting her hand on his cheek. "I'll...go out with Angela and leave you and Hodgins to work on the furniture. But I will be painting. I bought the paint that is perfectly safe for pregnant women to use. And the windows will be open to ventilate the room."

Booth nodded. "Alright. It's a compromise," he agreed. "And I know that Angela wants to help with the painting...said you guys were discussing a mural or something for one of the walls?"

"Oh yes, we were going to make a mural of butterflies on the opposite wall of her crib. Hodgins is supplying the scientific names of the butterflies and Angela is going to put them under each one in calligraphy," she explained proudly, smiling as she stepped back and unzipped her costume, letting it fall.

Booth grinned at her as she stood there in her bra and underwear with her little belly out in the open. "Only our daughter will know the scientific names for butterflies before the age of three."

"I believe she will be quite intelligent," Brennan said as she changed into a pair of yoga pants and one of Booth's t-shirts. "But I also think she will be intelligent in more than just one way. She'll be objectively smart and also...how do you say it? Street smart?"

Booth nodded. "She will be," he said, unbuttoning his shirt and depositing it in the dirty clothes hamper before changing into a t-shirt and shorts. "And I know she'll be beautiful like her mom."

Brennan looked at Booth and smiled as she sat down on their bed. They had come a long way since they first became partners years ago. And she was a lot more trusting than she had been all those years ago when they first met. He had taught her to love and trust others. Booth had helped her take down the last of her imperviousness. And that was worth everything that they had come through. To have the happiness that she had now...it was worth it all. Everything that they had come through together had taught her to put her trust in him because no matter what, Booth was always there for her...even when he really wasn't there physically. But her greatest challenge was yet to come. Motherhood. But she knew that he would be there to help her.


	21. A Thankful Heart

_A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! I am loving all the feedback I get from you guys and would love to hear more in the future about what you think about this story and how it's going. As a writer, I crave the feedback from my readers. Even those who just casually read through this fanfiction because they're bored. Tell me what you like and don't like about it, how I can improve, and whatnot. Just **review** and let me know!_

_A special dedication for this chapter goes out to my friend Elizabeth, who is my beta reader sometimes and knows of the ideas bouncing in my head for this story from time to time. _

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><p>Thanksgiving was one holiday that Brennan had never really celebrated before, at least not in the sense of having a large family gathering in her home. But this year would be different because she and Booth were hosting their friends and family in their home. Booth had been in the kitchen with her off and on through the night while they cooked together. Surprisingly enough, Booth was a pretty good cook and made sure that she wasn't on her feet too much, even if she insisted that she was fine and he had nothing to worry about. But he was being his usual, overprotective self that she had come to know and love over the course of their partnership and now their relationship. At times it was comforting to know that he was there for her to protect her, but at other times...like during her pregnancy when he insisted she sit down all the time, it was annoying.<p>

Around eleven the next morning, their first guests arrived. Angela and Hodgins, along with Michael, came in with their contribution to the meal and greetings all around. Her best friend made a fuss about Brennan being on her feet and about how much her belly had grown over the last few weeks. While she knew she felt perfectly find standing up, she ignored that comment and instead beamed proudly after Angela mentioned her growing belly. She felt proud of the little bump she displayed under her shirt, especially because there was a baby causing it. Anthropologically speaking, she now had an elevated status in some cultures because she was pregnant with a child. But personally, she was just happy.

"Just a few more weeks until we meet that precious baby girl growing in there," Angela grinned, clasping her hands together excitedly.

"I feel like it's so far away, but that the time will pass quicker than I think it will," she said, resting her hand on her stomach.

"That's how I felt before Michael was born. I remember those last few days when I was overdue and just wanted him out of me," Angela laughed, looking to the men on the opposite side of the room. Hodgins had their son in his arms while chatting with Booth. "But now that he's here and growing so fast, I just want to keep him little forever."

"That isn't possible Ange," Brennan said, laughing a little.

"You'll understand when that little girl is born and you're holding her in your arms," Angela's eyes gleamed knowingly. "She will be the most precious thing in your world and you'll never want her to grow up."

"I just want to see her now," she admitted. "And hold her in my arms...I know that is my hormones taking control of my emotions, but it's what I feel."

Angela grinned and shook her head. "That is a mother's love talking."

Brennan touched her stomach again as Stella rolled over, smiling softly as she thought about holding her daughter in her arms. As much as she wanted to argue that it was human nature to love one's child for the survival of the species, she couldn't deny the existence of the love she felt for her daughter and how real it was for her. For the first time in her life, she understood what unconditional love was and how it worked. Her heart felt connected to the life growing inside of her-but not her actual, physical heart. The metaphoric one that Booth was always referring to all the time. That was the heart she felt attached to her daughter. The love of a mother for her child was one of the most powerful thing Brennan had ever experienced and Stella wasn't even born yet.

When their next group of guests arrived, Booth let them in. Cam, Michelle, Sweets, and Daisy all arrived at the same time, bringing more dishes for the table. They definitely would not be in short supply of food for everyone to share. Everyone began chattering amongst the group about the game coming on later, the food, kids, and life in general. It felt surreal to Brennan how normal everything seemed, but at the same time how extraordinary it all really was. Booth had once told her that there was more than one kind of family-and now she was starting to fully understand that notion. Families weren't always just parents and children, but a blend of people you surrounded yourself with. Brennan's family were her friends, her father and brother, her daughter, and Booth. Booth had always been a part of her family, even as just partners. But now that he was the father of her child, it made it that much more so.

The last of the guests to arrive was her father, who came in bringing an apple pie that he set on the table. Brennan hated cooked fruit, but she knew that the gesture wasn't for her but for Booth. Since they had told Max that she was pregnant and that Booth was the father, he and Booth had been working toward being nicer to one another. Max respected that Booth was taking care of her and that they were working on raising their child together, even if they didn't always agree on everything. She knew her father was of the old notion that people got married when they had kids, but Brennan still didn't believe in marriage. Booth did, but he respected her views and she respected his. Her dad, however, didn't understand that. Walking over, she hugged him and smiled.

"You look gorgeous Tempe," he said, grinning as he took a step back to admire her. "Every bit as beautiful as your mom."

She smiled a little, thinking of the few memories that she had of her mother. Throughout her pregnancy, she had moments when she wished she could talk with her mother about things that only she would understand. While she was grateful to have Angela to help her through the pregnancy and the worst of its symptoms, having her mom there would have been wonderful. But there was nothing she could do about it and it didn't do anything to dwell on that thought.

"Thanks dad," she replied, holding his hand and squeezing it slightly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as everyone else continued to chat on around them.

"A little uncomfortable," she said, frowning a little. "The baby's feet are constantly in my rib cage as she kicks, so my lungs are quite squished."

Max nodded. "The last couple weeks were the hardest for your mom too, especially with Russ. He was a really active baby before he was born, so he gave her hell quite a bit before he was born."

"What was I like?" she asked out of curiosity, wondering if she was vastly different than her brother.

"Fairly calm actually, except during the early evening hours after I would come home from work," he grinned proudly. "Daddy's girl from the start."

Brennan smiled softly and looked around. Everyone that was supposed to be here had arrived. Rebecca had taken Parker for Thanksgiving this year so she and Booth could have him for Christmas since his sister was supposed to be born around that time. It was an agreement that Rebecca surprisingly allowed, especially given past years where Booth had to beg to even see Parker on Christmas Day. But Rebecca hadn't put up a fight this year and willingly allowed them the compromise that they gladly took. Parker was excited about his little sister being born, which Brennan loved because she could sense that he would be an excellent big brother. It was a Booth trait that he had inherited from his father, who was an older brother himself. On that thought, she joined the rest of the family at the table as they all sat down to eat together. She took her place next to Booth on one side and Angela on the other while her father sat across from her.

Standing up, Brennan picked up her wine glass filled with water. "I would like to propose a toast," she said, getting everyone's attention. "Thanksgiving is a holiday derived from the celebration of the pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock in 1621 and has continued down to present day as a holiday that is meant to celebrate families coming together to share a meal. While not all of us here are blood related or married into the same family, we are in a sense our own family," she said, looking at Booth with a smile. "There are many kinds of families out there and I, for one, am proud to be a part of this one. All of you have been influential parts of my life as friends, co-workers, parents, and partners...and I could not imagine a life without any of you."

Everyone raised their glasses in agreement as the feast began. Brennan took her seat by Booth again and smiled at him as he looked at her approvingly. The last speech she had made at a gathering like this was at Christmas a few years back and it had not gone over so well. But this one was much better since she had grown as a person since that time. She was always growing and learning around Booth. He had taught her so much over the years about humanity and how to conduct herself in public settings. He taught her about eye contact and about opening herself up to people, specifically him. All of those things were things that she was thankful for and so much more. Her life was changing for the better and she liked that. But the most amazing change was yet to come.


	22. Lilac Walls

_Thank you all so very much for the support you've given me throughout this story! Here is the next chapter for you guys...updated in less than 2 days! That is like a record for me or something, but I felt so inspired to write this chapter. It is a bit of fluff, but good fluff. I hope you enjoy this installment and please, leave me a **review**! I love to hear from my readers. Leave me feedback about your thoughts please!_

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><p>Brennan stood in the center of her guest bedroom, which was not much of one anymore now that all the furniture had been taken out and the floor was covered in plastic. They were ready to paint the room that would become the nursery for their daughter; something she had been looking forward to for a while now. Three of the walls would be a soft shade of lilac purple while the fourth wall, across from the crib, would be the mural Angela was going to be painting for them of butterflies. Admittedly, she was excited to have the mural done with the scientific names for each of the butterflies painted on the wall as well as the name of the trees and plants in the picture. Booth made the comment that only their child would have a mural like it, which made her proud. But for today, she and Booth were going to paint the other walls to be able to move in the crib and dresser after Booth and Hodgins finished putting them together.<p>

"Booth, have you found the paint cans yet?" she asked, holding her hands on her hips. She'd sent him to get the cans of paint from their closet and he hadn't returned just yet, so she wondered if he was even able to find them buried underneath the stuff in their shared closet.

"Yeah, I just had to move all of those boxes to get to them," he said, walking back in with the two cans of paint she had sent him for.

"I forgot I put those there the other day. Sorry," she apologized as he popped open the first can and stirred the paint with a wooden stick.

"It's alright Bones," he reassured her, pouring the paint into the containers with the rollers so they could start their project.

"A lot of the baby's clothes are in there," she explained, squatting down to get a roller and dip it into the paint. "Once we finish the nursery, I'll move them to the dresser and closet in here so they aren't taking up space in our closet."

Booth smiled and nodded as he picked up his own roller to start painting. "Shouldn't take too long to get it done though," he smiled, pulling out his phone to take a picture of her painting the wall. She knew that he was taking more pictures of her pregnant than he ever had taken of her before, but she knew that the reason behind it was because Rebecca had shut him so far out of her own pregnancy with Parker that this might be the only other chance he had. For that, she could not fault him.

Taking her roller, she put it to the wall and started to paint over the white walls with the lilac. The color on the walls were a new beginning to something that was once so different, much like her pregnancy had been for her and for her relationship with Booth. A year ago, if someone had told her that she would be pregnant with Booth's child and in a relationship with her partner, she would have said they were insane. Yet, here she was with Booth, pregnant and happy. Dressed down in her maternity yoga pants and one of Booth's t-shirts, she felt completely comfortable with her life and with Booth. After years of insecurity and building walls to keep people at bay, she finally had let them down for Booth. And he had been the one who had persisted and been consistent with her over the years, despite a few hiccups here and there. It was all part of the journey that had brought them together through their partnership, friendship, and now to their relationship. Everything they had gone through in the past seven years was completely worth it now that they had stability.

While they painted the walls, their daughter started to kick, which made Brennan smile slightly and pause to touch her stomach. Booth looked over at her and grinned knowingly, stepping over and putting his palm against her stomach in time to feel Stella kick again. This was something that he had come to enjoy quite frequently since she had started to kick more over the past few weeks. She couldn't help but enjoy the moments where he would touch her stomach. Even if she was annoyed with people touching her stomach all the time, she would never deny Booth that privilege.

"She is a lot stronger," he said proudly, looking at her with his Boothy grin that she had come to love over the years.

"The last few weeks of pregnancy are for her to gain weight, meaning she feels much stronger than before," she said, putting her own palm against her stomach beside his. Stella rolled around and hiccuped before settling down in one position again, presumably falling asleep.

"How big did the doc say she was at our last appointment?" he asked.

"She was around four pounds at the last sonogram, but she'll be gaining about a half a pound a week until birth," she said, rolling more paint along the wall. "By the time she gets here in about three weeks, she should be close to seven pounds."

"A healthy baby girl," he said, going back to painting with the same grin on his face. He rolled his paint in her direction absentmindedly, accidentally covering her hand as it rested against the wall while she painted.

"Booth!" she exclaimed, pulling her hand back from the wall covered in lilac paint. Without warning, she took her roller and striped some of the paint across his chest, laughing as she did.

"Oh...it's on!" he said, taking his roller across her belly and painting his black t-shirt with the purple.

She squealed and took more of her paint and put it across his face, accidentally of course since she was aiming for his chest but missed as he moved to dodge her. When she saw the purple across his face, she instantly started to laugh and moved away before he could grab her. Taking some of the paint off of his face with his hand, he reached over and hand-printed her butt on the yoga pants she was wearing, causing her to squeal in surprise. They had never had this kind of fun together, but she found that she actually was enjoying herself despite the mess that they would have to clean up later. Their paint fight continued for a few minutes before he pulled her in and kissed her lips firmly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sunk into his embrace for once. Even though she was pregnant with his child and they were together, she still had some issues with intimacy. But those were things that she had been working on over the past couple of months.

"I am guessing that this is not how you paint a room successfully?" she asked, looking at him with a smirk.

Booth shook his head and chuckled. "No, but this is how you have fun while you paint a room," he answered, surveying the damage they had done. All their messy paint had landed either on themselves or the plastic covering on the floor, so they would be able to just finish the walls without worrying about it getting everywhere.

"Should we finish the walls and then shower?" she inquired, looking for the roller she had lost track of in their little paint war. Picking it up from where it had fallen on the floor, she smiled at him and started to paint again.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea since paint takes a while to get out of hair," he grinned, returning beside her to finish painting the wall they had started.

"Well we should shower together to...conserve water," she suggested, looking at him with a smile that he knew meant so much more than what she said.

"I agree," he said, rolling more paint over the white-washed walls, making them purple.

A wide grin crossed her face as she continued to paint, knowing what was to come when they were finished with the room. Life had taken so many strange turns for her in the last two years especially. She'd gone from a woman who didn't believe in relationships and marriage to being in a stable relationship with someone she trusted more than life itself and who had shown her the meaning of personal relationships. They were expecting a child together and life seemed...normal to her. But what defined normal? By any other standards, she and Booth were far beyond normal because of the nature of their relationship. They weren't married, but they were living together and having a baby together. Their partnership at work remained intact and professional, but the moment they stepped outside of work they were relaxed and much more at home with each other than ever before. No one else shared what they had with each other or would ever share anything like it. They were unique and she didn't mind that one bit.

When they finished painting the nursery, she stepped back to admire their work. Three once blank white walls were now a beautiful shade of lilac with a white trim around the top. The room looked completely different than before somehow, like a small coat of paint suddenly transformed it to something new. While she knew that wasn't physically possible, it felt that way. Things were changing and she liked it, which was new for her since she usually was one to resist change when possible. She had once said that she liked science because it was consistent and rarely ever changed from what was known and proven through facts and evidence. But her pregnancy had caused her to confront change head on and she found that she was a lot stronger than she originally had thought.

Booth stood beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her head. "I think we did a pretty good job Bones," he said lovingly. "Think Stella will like it?"

"Although I doubt that she will be able to judge what she likes and does not like as a newborn, I believe that when she is older she will be able to appreciate the beauty of the room," she replied, smiling. "Plus newborns aren't able to see color for the first few weeks of life. Nor are they able to focus on anything more than a few inches from their face."

"Well someday she'll love it," Booth said, chuckling and looking down at her before grinning wider and raising his eyebrows suggestively. "Ready for that shower?"

Brennan smirked. "Well...maybe I might reconsider my offer of showering together," she said teasingly. "After all...I am not sure that we will fit in the shower together any longer with my expanding girth."

Booth caught her lips in a quick kiss. "We can make it happen," he challenged with a grin.

"I guess you'll just have to come find out then," she said, stepping away from him and walking toward the bathroom, swaying her hips suggestively. It didn't take much to turn Booth on, so she knew that he would come running in a few moments. That was one thing about their relationship that was never in short supply, no matter how crazy her hormones got.


	23. Oh Holy Night

_Here is another chapter for you guys! Getting closer to you know what, which I know will make some of you very excited. :) Thank you all again for the continued support and love that I get for this story. Please, leave a **review** with your thoughts and opinions on this little chapter. This is a little more steamy fluff, but still good in a way. Let me know what you think please._

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><p>Sitting back on the couch, Brennan held her shirt raised to reveal her swollen stomach, watching Stella kick and turn uncomfortably in her womb. At thirty-nine weeks, she was at the pinnacle of her pregnancy and could go into labor at any moment. Booth was on edge about it all the time, much like Hodgins had been before Angela gave birth to Michael. While his concern was normal for an expectant father, it was at times annoying and irritating to Brennan, who just wanted to have her baby and be done with it. Pregnancy had been fine with her up until the last few weeks of her third trimester, when everything began to swell uncomfortably and she had no more room to let Stella grow inside of her. In the last few days, she had felt her daughter drop into her pelvis to prepare for birth, which made walking and everything else more uncomfortable than it already was. This was all part of the natural process of childbirth, even though it was completely miserable for her and nerve-wracking for Booth. However, they were prepared for their daughter's arrival, having finished the nursery the previous week and successfully had a baby shower at Angela's insistence a few days prior.<p>

While she sat on the couch watching Stella twist and turn, she looked up to see Booth coming out of their bedroom, walking past their Christmas tree. Christmas was something that Brennan had not really celebrated since she was a teenager, at least in the sense of putting up decorations and actually celebrating in the comfort of her own home with someone she cared about. But this year was different because she and Booth were living together. Since they were having a child, he persuaded her that they should start a tradition of having a tree to put up for Parker and Stella. Even though she disagreed with the hypocrisy of Santa Clause and how every child had to be good year round to received gifts, she could not turn down Booth's enthusiasm about the whole thing since he had never really been able to share a family Christmas with those he cared about in a long time. His time with Parker was usually so limited because of Rebecca's insistence, but she had been generous this year and allowed them to keep Parker for Christmas because Stella was due to come anytime.

"Are all the gifts ready to put under the tree?" she asked as he came over and sat down next to her.

He nodded. "Parker should be here any minute now," he said, checking his phone to make sure that Rebecca had not texted him in the last couple minutes. "He's pretty excited about coming to visit for a few days."

"Let's hope that Stella decides to come in that time so that he can be there to meet her," she added, rubbing her stomach. "Although, I am feeling the early signs of labor coming on."

Booth shot up. "Whoa, what? Early signs of labor...do we need to take you to the hospital?"

"No Booth!" she exclaimed, laughing and holding her hand up for him to calm down. "These are just indicators that it is possible for me to go into labor soon. They can go on for a few days. Stella's head as dropped into my pelvis to prepare her for birth, there's been an increase in pressure on my cervix, and I've lost the mucus plug, meaning my water is likely to break in a day or two."

Booth cringed at the details of what was happening with Brennan's body, but she was used to his prudish nature. But that had become more relaxed since they started living together. "Think she will wait until after Christmas to come?" he asked, trying to get off the topic of cervixes and mucus plugs.

"That is a possibility, but it just depends on when my body decides to go into labor," she answered, running her hand along her bare belly.

"Is there anything we could do to help that along?" he asked, putting his hand on her belly. "We could go for a walk if you want. It's Christmas Eve, so not many people will be out."

"By the time I get up and put on warmer clothes, it will be late and I don't want to get out that late tonight," she said, scrunching her nose and shaking her head. "We could always just have sex...women have been doing that for centuries to bring on labor. The jostling motion sometimes causes the muscles of the uterus to contract, especially after orgasm, and can bring on labor."

Booth coughed, not expecting to be caught off guard. "That's still safe so late into the pregnancy?" he asked, arching an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Yes Booth, it's perfectly safe," she replied, looking at him incredulously. "The doctor even encouraged it to bring on labor now that I am so close to my due date."

Nodding, Booth kept his hand on her belly and smiled a little. "Guess we're both a little impatient to meet this baby girl," he said, looking up at her after a moment. "If the doctor says it's still safe for us, then I have no objections at all."

Smiling, she leaned up and kissed his lips. Intimacy between them had grown quite a bit in the last few months, especially as her hormones and relationship with Booth grew as well. She already trusted him in the sense that they were partners, but as they came together romantically, she learned to trust him with her metaphorical heart; something she had never done before in a relationship. The closest one she had come to was with Sulley, but that was years ago and nothing compared to what she shared with Booth. With Booth, they were family...her, Stella, Parker, and Booth. They were going to be a family for the rest of their lives, regardless of if relationships worked out or not. But she was going to assume that they would because she and Booth had already come through so much in their partnership and their relationship together. Even though she didn't believe in faith, she believed in Booth and that was enough for her.

As they kissed, she parted her lips and moved her tongue across Booth's lower lip to let him know that she wanted more. Her wish was granted as he opened his mouth and greeted her tongue with his to deepen their kiss. His hand moved from her belly to her hip, pulling her closer to him as they kissed. She loved that feeling of being wanted and desired by someone. Even though she knew that anthropologically speaking, he only loved her belly because it was a sign of his virility and sexual prowess in the ability to father children, she felt cherished when he touched her belly or held her in this way. Having this child had changed the way she thought of the world because of her hormones. Even her once rational mind threw things out sometimes that even she didn't understand, though she was the one saying them. But it was worth it because of the beautiful child she and Booth would have together at the end of it all.

Soft kisses became more urgent as she cupped his cheek with her hand and moved almost on top of him before lifting her maternity top off. Booth traced his hands along her curves, causing her to shiver slightly. The chill of the apartment air met her skin, causing it to tingle a little with his hand sliding over her. Smiling, she leaned in and kissed him again. The kisses her soft, but deepened quickly before she pulled at his t-shirt to get it off. She needed him now and there was no denying that. In the back of her mind, she knew that this would likely be the last time they were able to make love before she gave birth and was resigned to six weeks of no sex whatsoever. That was going to be a difficult month and a half for them since they were used to it at least once a day because of her hormones. Then again, they would have a newborn baby in the house to tend to every three to four hours when she was hungry or wanted attention. But for now, she was the one wanting attention and she was going to get it.

A while later, she collapsed onto his chest, panting and sweating. Sheer happiness washed over her as she came down from the heights of her climax. Booth was smiling and panting beneath her as he ran his fingertips down her back and rested on the small of it. There was still no signs of labor yet, but she knew that it was well worth it to try, especially because it provided them some intimacy on Christmas Eve, which she knew was more important to him than it was to her because of the religious significance of Christmas. As she rested against him, she felt Stella squirm uncomfortably in her pelvis, causing her to wince a little. She wished that their baby would come soon, for her sake and the baby's. They were both so uncomfortable now that it was time for her to come out, but she still had one more week until the doctor would even think about inducing her. And that would be the longest week of her life...and Booth's if this kept up.


	24. Christmas Mass

_Thanks again for the love and support you guys give! I'm so overwhelmed by all the love I get from my faithful readers and followers. Please leave me a **review** to let me know what you think and hopefully there will be another chapter to read in the very near future!_

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><p>The few hours after their lovemaking passed quickly as Parker arrived as they ate dinner together and talked about Christmas. He was also so excited to come over and feel his baby sister kicking, causing him to grin proudly. Brennan could see that he already loved his sister and wanted to meet her as badly as she and Booth wanted to, if not more. Meeting their daughter for the first time would be an experience that she would not forget for the rest of her life. After the excitement from Parker's arrival died down, he and Booth began to get ready for Christmas Eve Mass. It was a tradition that she knew he observed every year because of his religious beliefs and how he had been raised. He shared that with Parker and she admired that they were able to do that as father and son. As they got ready, she disappeared to their bedroom and into her closet before coming out in her hat and coat, causing Booth to pause and look at her as he came into the bedroom.<p>

"I would like to come to Mass with you and Parker," she said, looking at him.

"Bones...do you think it's a good idea?" she asked in reply. She understood his hesitation since religion had been a source of conflict for them and always had been.

"Yes," she answered confidently. "Stella will be exposed to both of our beliefs throughout her childhood. Even though she will hold no understanding of the traditions today, I know that Christmas Mass is one of the many holidays that are of significant value to the Catholic religion. And tonight is an important night to you, so it's important to me."

"Can you promise not to insult God in His own house?" Booth asked, stepping closer to her.

"Although I am certain that a mythical being cannot be insulted, I will keep my opinions to myself this evening," she assured him, straightening the buttons on his button-down shirt.

Booth looked at her and nodded. "Alright, we'll go together," he said as Parker walked into their room.

"Bones is coming to Christmas Mass with us?" Parker asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah bud, she's gonna come with us to Mass. Is that okay with you?"

"Duh!" he replied excitedly. "Can I show her what to do when we get to the church?"

Brennan admired Parker's candor and eager nature to share his beliefs, though he probably didn't understand all of them just yet at his young age. Children were often the most open and honest with what they believed and thought, which made it easy to teach them such beliefs from a young age. Looking to Booth, she smiled to let him know that it was alright for Parker to show her what he wanted to show her at the church.

"Sure buddy," he said, walking out of their room to grab his coat. "Put your jacket and gloves on and we'll head over to the church."

Parker grinned and came over to the coat rack, pulling off his jacket and scarf before putting them on quickly. Once they were all ready to go, they left the apartment and made their way down the stairs, Brennan going at a much slower pace than usual. She waddled down slowly, holding the rail with one hand and her enlarged belly with the other. Pregnancy had definitely changed her center of gravity, so even walked was difficult and painful these days. One thing she was looking forward to was not having a child sitting on her pelvis or kicking her bladder every five minutes.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she walked over to the SUV and climbed in. Parker slid into the back seat next to Stella's carseat and buckled up. Looking back, she could briefly imagine having both of the kids there and smiled before fastening her own seat belt. Booth started the engine of the car and started the drive to the church. They were fairly quiet on the way there, with Parker talking about Christmas and how he was excited for Stella to come soon, mentioning that he wanted her to come as a Christmas present this year. As much as she wished that she would go into labor soon, it didn't look like it would be happening anytime soon until Stella was ready to come out.

As they arrived to the parking lot, she got out and walked into the church with the guys, holding Booth's hand. It was a small gesture, but they were slowly letting more of their affection leave the bedroom little by little. She watched them do the symbol of the cross before they took their seats near the back of the church. She had been in a Catholic church before, having gone with Booth to a service when they were investigating a murder of a Priest, but she had never been here for a Mass like this. The service was festive, recounting how Jesus was born and the wise men coming to visit the newborn baby. Even though she did not believe in the virgin birth, she empathized with Mary most. The idea of being a young, first-time mother giving birth in a stable with no assistance other than your husband because you had no where else to go was terrifying. Her eyes brimmed with a few emotional, hormonal tears that she couldn't hold back.

"You alright Bones?" Booth whispered, his voice hinting with concern.

She nodded slowly. "I am just awashed with hormones," she replied softly. "Being pregnant has made me feel more attuned to other pregnant women, like Mary from the story."

"Mary was unmarried when she discovered she was pregnant," Booth went on quietly, holding her hand. "A death sentence for young women in that day and age because it meant their virtue was unintact, even if she was carrying the son of God, conceived immaculately. But God provided Joseph, a man who protected Mary and married her, claiming Jesus as his own son to raise so no one in their village would ask questions."

"Even though I don't believe in the virgin birth, I do think that a man like Joseph is a great man," she whispered, looking at him. "He took on the responsibility for a child that was most likely not his own...a trait that is an anomaly anthropologically speaking."

"He was a man of God," Booth said. "And truly loved Mary and Jesus as his own son. He raised him to learn his trade...carpentry."

"Your middle name is Joseph," she said after a moment. "Is there a significant meaning to that?"

"Yes," Booth nodded. "My mother was a believer. She raised me in the church and loved the story of Mary and Joseph the most because it demonstrated what the strength and power of love could do. She wanted me to be a great man like that."

"I believe that you are a great man," she replied, squeezing his hand once.

Booth smiled and held her hand through the rest of the service until it was time for communion. While Booth went up to the altar at the front, she stayed behind to sit with Parker. Since he was not confirmed in the Catholic church, he could not partake in communion just yet. Brennan was familiar with most religious sacraments and knew that communion was an outward symbol of the sacrifice made by Christ in the Bible. And while she did not agree with their beliefs and thought that they were mostly made up fables put together in a book, she could respect them and people like Booth who believed in them. If Stella grew up to be a believer herself, she would not love her daughter any less, but encourage her to have her own set of beliefs based on what information was presented to her as she grew up.

When Booth came back, there were a few more songs before they were dismissed to return to their homes. By the time, it was nearly one in the morning and Parker was nodding off. They loaded up into the SUV and drove back home. Booth guided his son up the stairs as he kept trying to fall asleep while Brennan made her way up slowly behind them. After getting inside the apartment, they put Parker to bed, tucking a blanket around him on the guest cot they set up in Stella's nursery. Parker was out in just two minutes flat, making her smile and brush his hair lovingly. She had watched this little boy grow up from the time he was four until now, making her feel connected to him in a way. They were family. Her daughter would be his half-sister, which connected them in a very important way that no one could break.

After putting Parker to sleep and putting out the presents under the tree, she and Booth slipped into their own room and changed clothes. She climbed into their bed and pulled the blankets up to just under her belly as Booth laid beside her and put his hand on her stomach. Watching him kiss her stomach, she smiled and leaned down to plant a small kiss on his lips.

"Merry Christmas Bones," he said softly.

"Merry Christmas Booth," she replied.


	25. New Year's Eve

_Just a little side note to those who have reviewed about the confirmation and communion thing. I have a friend who is Catholic, whom I got my information from about confirmation and communion in the Catholic church. She told me that confirmation doesn't happen until around freshman year of high school, but the reason for that is because of the differing dioceses within the church. I was simply using the information that she gave me and did not mean to offend at all!_

_Thank you all again so much for your continued love and support of this story! This chapter is dedicated to our queen herself, Emily Deschanel, as today (October 11) is her birthday! Please leave me a **review** and let me know what you like and think about this chapter! xoxo_

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><p>Days passed after Christmas with no signs of labor for Brennan, much to her discomfort and Parker's dismay as he had to return to his mother's house a few days after Christmas. But they had agreed that Rebecca would come up to the hospital once Stella was born so Parker could meet his little sister for the first time, an agreement that they all felt was good and reasonable. After Parker left, she and Booth took down their Christmas decorations to put them away so they wouldn't have to worry about it when Stella was born. Once those chores were taken care of, it became a waiting game for her to actually go into labor. Because of the holidays, everyone from the lab was on vacation and Brennan had begun her maternity leave, so there was no distraction of work to help her pass the time quicker. She and Booth went on walks, had sex often, and she ate spicy foods all in the attempt to bring Stella into the world a little faster. However, nothing worked and Stella remained stubbornly inside her womb.<p>

New Year's Eve day rolled around, so she and Booth decided to invite Angela and Hodgins over for dinner instead of spending the holiday alone. Booth cooked with Hodgins while she and Angela relaxed in the living room with Michael. Though she would have preferred to be in the kitchen helping out and cooking, her back and pelvis were in too much pain to stand for any period of time longer than necessary, so she grudgingly accepted defeat for the first time for the evening, retiring to the couch to spend some much needed time with her best friend.

"And you've tried everything to bring on labor?" Angela asked, bouncing her son in her lap as he laughed and played with a block in his hands.

"Yes," Brennan sighed, rubbing her stomach. "Spicy food, walking, and lots of sexual intercourse, but nothing is working."

"I'm sure Booth isn't complaining about that last part," Angela teased.

"He is quite enjoying my increased libido, although my stamina is not what it once was before the third trimester," she replied, smiling a little.

Angela laughed. "Mine went down too just before I went into labor. It's gonna happen soon sweetie, so don't worry too much. Michael was overdue by a few days, remember?"

"Well if she isn't here by the fifth of January, they will be inducing me," she said, wincing as Stella shifted down in her pelvis. "I am quite uncomfortable, so I am more than ready for her to be born."

"Are you nervous?" Angela asked, setting Michael onto his feet by the couch to hold onto as he took a few unsteady steps.

Brennan shrugged slightly. "A little, but more so for Booth. He was outside of the delivery room when Parker was born, so this will be, in essence, like his first child."

"This he's gonna panic or faint?" Angela laughed and watched her son take a few more steps while holding onto the couch cushions. At nearly nine months old, he was getting braver with trying new things like standing up on his own, but he wasn't ready to take those first few steps alone without help.

"He tends to overreact when I do anything that he believes to be dangerous or hazardous to myself or the baby," she said, shaking her head and laughing a little. "So I am expecting him to be panicked when I go into labor."

"Oh he'll defenitely be one of _those_ dads," Angela smirked knowingly.

"I don't know what that means."

"Let's just say it won't be as bad as Hodgins was when I went into labor, but pretty close," Angela explained, shaking her head with a grin. "He couldn't find the keys when we thought I went into labor that first time and the second time, it was like he could fly when he ran out of the lab to go get the car. I've never seen him run so fast in my life."

Brennan smiled and sat up a little as Michael found his way over to her. A gentle, loving smile spread across her lips as the baby boy looked up at her and laughed a little, scrunching his little nose and eyes in glee. "Hello Michael," she greeted, planting a small kiss on his head.

"He is so social," Angela gushed. "The daycare attendants at the Jeffersonian are always telling me how he just crawls around to the other babies in his room and just babbles away with them like he's carrying on a conversation."

"Social learning is often one of the key ways that infants learn best," she said, brushing the little boy's hair with her hand. "Children imitate adults and other children around them, picking up different behaviors and language the longer they are exposed to it."

"He is a very smart boy," Angela went on proudly. "Hodgins spends so much time with him at home, just playing with plastic bugs and teaching him the scientific names for each one. Even though he doesn't understand what Hodgins is even saying, he likes the time with his dad."

Brennan nodded and smiled. "That will help develop his vocabulary extensively as he grows older. He could very well be ahead of those in his age group by the time that he is in elementary school."

The two women continued talking about kids, going back to work after maternity leave, and about getting together for lunch in a few days if Stella had not come into the world yet. Their attention diverted when the men told them that dinner was ready. Angela picked up Michael and brought him over, sitting him in his booster seat and buckled him in before attaching the tray to it for him to eat off of. Everyone took their seats and began to eat the meal together. Brennan shifted uncomfortably in her chair as she felt an intense amount of pressure in her lower back. But she continued talking with her friends and Booth as they ate, sharing some fond memories of holidays past, including her Christmas dinner where her cousin Margaret came to join them all.

When they had finished, she rose from the table and helped take the dishes to the kitchen with Angela, longing to do something useful other than sitting down in discomfort. She knew that doing the dishes meant that she wouldn't be on her feet as long as she would have cooking, so it was an acceptable compromise and Booth didn't argue with her. As she rinsed one of the plates, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and doubled over. Looking down as she caught her breath, she saw that the insides of her maternity pants were wet. Her water had broken...she was in labor. The pain subsided after about thirty seconds and she straightened up as Angela walked into the kitchen with the next batch of dishes to be washed. It took all of two seconds before Angela gasped and set the plates down on the counter and rushed to her side.

"Oh my god!" Angela shrieked. "Booth get in here!"

She could hardly believe that she was finally going into labor with their daughter, but excited at the same time since it meant that pregnancy was finally ending. Before Brennan could reassure her that it was alright and that she was fine, Booth came rushing into the kitchen seconds later in a frenzy.

"What's wrong?" he asked frantically.

"I'm fine Booth...I seem to be experiencing the beginning stages of labor," she said calmly, breathing in deeply. "My water has broken and I'm having contractions."

Whoa! We gotta get you to the hospital!" he said, taking the sponge from her hand that she had been washing the dishes with and forgotten about in the midst of her contraction and water breaking.

"Angela, please grab my...overnight bag and the baby's...diaper bag...in our bedroom," she instructed slowly through the beginning of another contraction.

Angela immediately went to their bedroom while Booth searched around to find his keys and quickly pulled on his jacket from the coat rack. Brennan held onto the counter for a moment while she breathed through another contraction as Hodgins unstrapped Michael from his seat and came over to offer his hand to help her get to the living room. Everything was starting to happen quickly, but she was ready for this. She had spent months preparing to become a mother and though she was still uncertain about a lot of things, she felt like she was ready to finally meet her daughter for the first time. Brennan was thankful that Hodgins and Angela happened to be over for dinner when it happened, otherwise she would have a harder time keeping calm while Booth ran around like a mad man.

"How you feeling Dr. B?" Hodgins asked as she made it into the living room holding his hand.

"Quite relaxed for as much pain as I am currently experiencing, but one of us has to remain calm...Booth is not that person obviously," she said, nodding to Booth as he came out of the bedroom holding up his car keys triumphantly.

Hodgins chuckled. "Believe me, this is calm compared to when Angie went into labor...I was running all over the place," he said.

"Alright, let's go...Hodgins are you and Angela driving behind us?" Booth asked as he came over and held out his arm for Brennan to take.

"Yeah man, we'll follow you guys up to the hospital and stay as long as we can before they kick us out," he said as Angela came up and stood next to him, nodding in agreement.

For once in her life, Brennan did not feel like she was about to go through something alone. She had friends and family there to help her through this momentous occasion in her life. Giving birth to a child was a rite of passage for many cultures around the world, so she knew that having her own child would be no different for herself. As Booth helped her down from their apartment to their car, she slid in and rested her head against the headrest while another contraction hit her. Breathing heavily through it, she held onto the door handle as Booth got in on the other side of the SUV. Contractions were already some of the worst pain she had ever felt before, but it subsided as quickly as it started. Booth started the car and she reached over to take his hand for a moment, just one moment of reassurance before their lives changed completely.


	26. Love

_I just wanted to thank you all so much for your support of this story! I received my 200th review for this story and I never would have thought it would be this popular when I first started writing it. THANK YOU ALL! I love you all so much and can't wait to see what your reactions are to this lovely chapter. Please **review** and let me know what you think about this. And this is not the last chapter! I promise there will be more. xoxo_

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><p>The drive to the hospital was long and uncomfortable for Brennan as she continued to have contractions every three to five minutes that lasted anywhere from thirty seconds to a minute in length. Booth was very careful about driving down bumpy roads and avoided a lot of the traffic since it was New Year's Eve and the last thing they needed was for some drunk idiot to hit them. The entire time, he attempted to distract her with conversation about bringing Stella home from the hospital and how she could be the first baby born in the New Year in DC, but nothing was really helping to keep her mind distracted enough during the contractions. But she appreciated his effort and tried to show him that while she was an intense amount of pain, she did care that he was trying to be there for her as a partner. They had talked about their birth plan over and over in the last few weeks, which included natural childbirth without the help of any medications. But now that she was actually in labor, she just wanted to get there and have her soothing music and meditation.<p>

When they arrived, Booth parked at the emergency entrance with Hodgins and Angela right behind him. He helped her out and into the waiting wheelchair before Hodgins took his keys to park the SUV while he took her inside. While Booth did the paperwork to admit her, she was taken up to Labor and Delivery. Brennan was more than ready for this to be over with because at the end of it, she would get to hold her daughter for the first time and know that all the work she had done over the past few months was well worth it. The nurses helped her into a hospital gown before laying her on a bed and putting in her IV for fluids right as Booth returned with their bags and Angela right behind him with Hodgins and Michael. Angela handed her the purse she had left in the car with her phone to let people know what was going on before she and Hodgins stepped out into the waiting room to allow her and Booth some privacy while they went through labor and delivery.

"Booth...could you get that CD out of my bag?" she asked, looking at him. "It's got my music on it that I wanted to use to meditate."

"Sure thing Bones," he said, rummaging through her overnight bag before pulling out the plastic case with the CD inside. Popping it out of the case, he put it in the radio in the corner of the room and turned it up just enough so they could hear it. The classical musings of Bach came through the speakers, making Booth smile. "Only you would put classical music on a CD to bring into the delivery room for our daughter."

Brennan smiled a little. "Classical music is very useful in relaxing and putting the mind at ease," she explained, holding her hands on her stomach over the blanket. "And it provides a calm environment for Stella to be born into."

"You ready?" he asked, sitting by the bed, taking her hand.

She nodded. "I am very ready for this baby to be born," she said. "Are you?"

"Yes. I'm more than ready to finally meet her and see what she looks like and who she acts like," he said, smiling.

"We won't know definitively who she will take after for months, maybe even years Booth," she argued teasingly, clenching his hand as another contraction came on. Moaning softly, she used breathing techniques and centered herself through the contraction as it peaked and then subsided about a minute later.

"That was a long one," he commented, looking at the printout from the monitor that tracked her progress with contractions. "It spiked up the eighty-nine on the chart!"

"I felt it," she said, glaring at him for a moment before laying her head back on the pillow. He was so amused by the numbers and seeing how high they would go with each contraction that it was almost irritating.

Hours went by and Brennan's progress was slow as she dilated, contracted, and started to lose her patience with labor. Angela and Hodgins had to excuse themselves to go home to put Michael to bed, promising to return in the morning. Booth tried to help as much as possible, but she just found it completely unhelpful that he couldn't experience what she was feeling and could not possibly understand it entirely. But she was thankful to have him there so she wasn't in labor alone. Even though she had said before that she was fine alone, she couldn't do this on her own now that she and Booth had been together for months and she had come to depend on him like she had never depended on another human being. Booth had been there during morning sickness when she couldn't hold a single meal down for days at a time, when her moods swings were almost out of control, and even when she got angry with him and snapped at him from time to time. But he had been there through it all and she was so grateful that he had been. He had once said that if he was the father, he had to be involved, and now she believed him.

Through the hours of intense labor and contractions that got closer together and longer in length, Booth held her hand, encouraged her, gave her ice chips, changed the music, and did every thing she asked of him, even if it was an irrational request. She yelled at him, cursed when she was in pain, and sometimes said nothing at all because she was meditating through the pain. But overall, she was using her own techniques to get through the pain without any medical assistance. Dr. Bano or a nurse came in and checked her every hour or so for progress, but other than that, she and Booth were the only ones in the room during her labor. She preferred it that way because this was an event that she shared with him. He had missed out on his son's birth, but he would not miss his daughter's.

When the time came to push, Dr. Bano came in and set everything up while a nurse got ready to clean off the baby when she arrived. Brennan put her legs in the stirrups that were set up on her bed before holding Booth's hand. The blanket became too much of a hassle, so she threw it off just as she began to push. Pushing was much harder than she expected it to be, but she kept her calm while she pushed during each contraction. Her mind was racing as she took breathers between the contractions and started up again. She started to cry out as she felt the baby descending in her pelvis and crowning, knowing that it was getting closer. Booth held her hand and whispered encouraging things to her.

"Almost there Bones," he said, kissing her forehead. "She's almost here. Just a few more pushes and we'll meet Stella."

Brennan cried out and started to push again, fighting through the pain as she gripped his hand for dear life. Tears streamed down her face as she felt her body being pushed as far as it could go, which was pretty far considering she was doing all of this without pain medication. Dr. Bano encouraged her to keep pushing until the contraction was over, meaning she had about a minute until the next one would come.

"Booth...do you remember when you saved me from being buried alive by the Gravedigger?" she asked breathlessly.

"I do," he said, nodding. "One of the scariest moments of my life not knowing if you were going to make it."

"When I was in that car, running out of oxygen with Hodgins, we wrote down our last messages to say goodbye to our loved ones if we didn't make it. He wrote to Angela...I wrote to you," she said, looking him in the eyes. "I told you that I cared about you...even if I didn't believe then that humans were capable of love. I felt something there for you and didn't want to leave you without something..."

He kissed her lips once and pressed his forehead to hers. "I knew Bones...even if you never said it until now, I knew that there was something," he said. "And I love you. For all you are, have been, and will be."

"I love you too," she whispered as the next contraction took hold and she gripped his hand again to push down.

She pushed as hard as she can until she felt a lot of pressure and heard Dr. Bano instruct her to stop for a moment while she suctioned out the baby's nose and mouth. On the next contraction, Brennan bore down once more and pushed until she felt the passing of a small body out of her own. Looking down, she saw the little bloody body of her daughter being placed on her stomach. Immediately, she felt tears coming down her cheeks again as she saw Stella for the first time and touched her tiny head as the nurse cleaned her off a little bit. Stella screamed out loudly from shock and the cold of the room, making Brennan cry more. Booth cut her ambilical cord, officially ending her physical tie to Brennan before they took her over to clean her up and wrap her in a blanket. Brennan looked over and listened to the cries of her child and the music that was now playing on the radio. _Hot Blooded_ by Foreigner. The perfect song to bring their child into the world to since it was her and Booth's song.

Once she was cleaned up and weighed, Dr. Bano brought the baby back over and handed her to Brennan. She took her swaddled child into her arms and held her close, kissing her head. The weight of the child in her arms was comforting and felt right, like she belonged there for the rest of their lives. Stella squeaked and opened her eyes a little to look into Brennan's. They were the deep midnight blue that she expected them to be, but were absolutely beautiful in every single way.

"Seven pounds, one ounce and nineteen inches long born at 5:47am," Dr. Bano said, smiling at them. "Perfectly healthy and normal."

Brennan nodded and looked up for a moment. "Thank you...so much," she said gently. "You've done so much for us."

"You're very welcome," the doctor replied with a smile before stepping out of the room to check on her other patients, leaving Booth and Brennan alone with their little girl for the first time.

"She is so beautiful," he said, leaning over to kiss Stella's forehead. "Looks just like you."

"I don't think that can be determined just yet," she countered with a smile, looking down at their daughter. "I see a few of your traits presents as well."

While they fawned over their daughter, she could tell that this was the beginning of the life she had always thought she didn't deserve. A family life. But she was part of one and that was something she had always wanted from the time her parents disappeared when she was fifteen-years-old. As she cradled Stella, she saw her start to whimper and immediately rocked her back and forth soothingly, untying her gown to offer her breast. She had read a lot of books about the benefits of breastfeeding as well as taken a class on how to get a baby correctly latched while making sure she got enough milk. Stella struggled for a moment, but finally put her lips over the breast correctly and began to suck slowly, making Brennan smile proudly. She had no shame about feeding their child since it was a natural thing. Booth watched on, kissing her temple.

"Stella Christine Booth," he murmured softly.

"It's perfect," she replied, looking at him. "I think my father will like her middle name and how it honors my mother."

Booth nodded in agreement while their daughter nursed. She was glad that he had gotten over the fact that she wanted to nurse and encouraged her to do so, so long as it was an intimate thing that they shared at home or behind the privacy of a blanket. Though she had no qualms about nursing in public without a cover, she respected that he had privacy issues. They had gone through several disputes about it before coming to the compromise that when they were at home, she could be as free as she wanted, but in public she would carry some kind of cover. When Stella drifted off to sleep, she slowly adjusted her gown and laid her daughter against her chest, stomach to stomach to pat her back after unwrapping her from the blanket a little to have some closer bonding. She felt so many emotions at once that she wasn't sure which one to process first between intense love, maternal instincts, and the overwhelming exhaustion that she now felt from giving birth. All of the above were strong, but she went with the first as the most prominent. Love. An emotion that she once thought didn't exist at all now flowed freely through her as she held her most precious accomplishment, her daughter.


	27. Family

_I'm so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter put up! School has really been kicking my tail this semester, but I'm almost done! I know that this one is a short one, but fear not because there is more to come. Thank you all so much for supporting me through this so far and keep sending **reviews** to let me know what you think. Love you all and appreciate each and every one of you!_

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><p>A sharp, wailing cry sent Temperance Brennan flying from the comfort of her bed. She looked over at the attached co-sleeper to find Stella crying and waving her arms around frantically. <em>Definitely a hunger cry,<em> she thought as she lifted her daughter up and cradled her in her arms while unbuttoning her top with her free hand. As she placed Stella to her breast, she felt the little one start to suck and quiet down as she ate contentedly. Brennan smiled and gently rocked with her daughter as she nursed, thankful that they were finally getting down nursing a lot better now than they had at birth. While it was still a little bit of a struggle sometime to get Stella latched correctly, it was getting easier. At a week old, Stella had become the center of her life and she would not have had it any other way. Stella looked like herself in so many ways, but she could definitely see Booth's traits and features as well, especially the darker hair that thinly covered their daughter's head.

While Stella nursed, she felt Booth stir next to her and looked over at him. He was just as exhausted as she was since he usually would get up with the baby when she would to change her as soon as she was done eating. He was more helpful than many men were in taking care of their child. And like many new moms with very young babies, she appreciated the help he could give her. Their lives had changed so much in the past few months that she sometimes didn't even recognize it with all the baby things, new sleeping schedule, and constant exhaustion they felt from caring for a newborn baby. But, despite the exhaustion and never ending list of things to do, she felt content with her life. Motherhood had changed how she looked at the world, but in many good ways.

"She wake up?" Booth asked, voice heavily with sleep as he rolled over to look at them.

"She was hungry," she replied, moving Stella to her other breast, causing her to squeak before latching on again after a few tries.

Booth nodded and scooted up in their bed, leaning over to kiss Stella's head gently. "I can't believe how often she eats...it's like she's never full," he said, laughing softly.

"Infants have considerably smaller stomachs, so they fill faster and empty sooner than adults," she replied in a matter of fact tone.

Booth chuckled and looked up at her with a grin. "I know, Bones," he said, kissing her cheek. "It's just an expression."

"Oh," she said, smiling a little before looking down at their daughter in her arms.

Their little girl was sucking slowly, resting her tiny hand on her breast. The tiny body resting against her was one of the most beautiful things she had ever witnessed in her life. Anthropologically, she knew that the bond created between mother and child through breastfeeding was largely hormonal, but there was also the element of trust. Stella trusted that she would feed her when she cried and hold her when she wanted to be held. She trusted that all of her needs would be taken care of by her parents. Brennan had only ever been around two babies for any length of time before her own child was born, one of them being her best friend's son. However, her worries about being a fit mother faded with time as she took care of her own daughter. Cofidence replaced her fears as she learned Stella's cries and what her needs were with each one. She loved her daughter more than she ever thought possible to love another human being you had only just met.

"Want me to burp and change her when you're done?" Booth asked sleepily, looking into her eyes.

"If you don't mind," she replied, glancing at the clock to see it was 4:47am.

Booth shook his head. "Not at all. You should go back to sleep when she's done that way you aren't as exhausted the next time she wakes."

Brennan nodded and looked down at Stella, who was nodding off as she continued to suck slower than before, meaning she was getting full. She kissed her head as Stella completely let go and dozed lightly with her mouth open. A happy smile spread across Brennan's face as she looked at her child in awe. Another human being, one she and Booth had created, was laying right in her arms and she was responsible for caring for her. Planting one more kiss on her daughter's forehead, she transferred her gently to Booth's waiting arms before adjusting her shirt to cover herself. She laid back on the bed and watched as Booth got up and moved over to change the baby's diaper. Watching him as he gently changed the baby, Brennan realized how perfect their life was. Booth was the alpha male in every situation, but as a father, he was so much more than that. He had made her believe in so much, including love, that she could never properly thank him for all of it.

When Stella was changed, he lifted her up and started to pat her back as she made small, impish noises that made Brennan smile as she laid on her side in bed, drifting between consciousness and sleep. Booth walked around their room, humming small tunes to their daughter while she was being burped and then comforted into sleep. She closed her eyes and started to go to sleep herself, but couldn't help catching some of the things Booth was telling Stella.

"Your mom is one of the coolest people out there," he whispered as he paced the room with the tiny baby in his arms. "She may not think she is, but she is also one of the most caring. I've seen it...many times."

Brennan smiled a little as she continued to keep her eyes closed, feigning sleep now for Booth's sake since she could not fall asleep just yet. She wanted to keep listening as he kept soothing their daughter.

"You look like her. She won't admit it, but you do...you have the same eyes and the same perfect nose. You have her hands too. And I'm not sure yet if you have her smile, but I'm almost positive you will," he went on quietly, pacing until Stella was completely out. When the baby was asleep, he crept over and laid her in the co-sleeper next to Brennan's side of the bed before returning to their bed. Without even thinking about it twice, Brennan shifted closer to him and laid her head on his broad chest and wrapped the blankets around them. It was a small action, but said so much about the shift in their relationship since finding out that she was pregnant. Little instances. Things that had changed in the past few months. But all of it was well worth it in the larger picture of life. Booth had taught her many things, but the most important and amazing lesson was that love existed. It was impossible not to believe it now that she had so many blessings in her life, including her daughter, Parker, and Booth. They were the most important part of her life, as well as their surrounding family and friends at the lab and in life.


	28. A Mother's Love

Brennan smiled as she laid her sleeping daughter in the bassinet in the living room, content that she had finally fallen asleep after an hour of coaxing and a lot of patience on her behalf. Stella was now three and a half weeks old, but had the personality and attitude of a grown woman as far as Brennan was concerned. When Stella didn't want to sleep, she fought it about as hard as anyone else would, crying and whimpering all the time. And reasoning with a three week old was about as easy as it was reasoning with someone who didn't speak the same language as yourself. But eventually, exhaustion won out and Stella fell asleep in her mother's arms. As soon as she laid her down, the phone began to rang as Brennan scrambled to answer it before it woke Stella. Grabbing it from the bar, she pushed the button to pick it up.

"Brennan," she said in a softer voice, peeking in to find Stella still asleep, much to her relief.

A familiar voice greeted her on the other end. "Heya Tempe."

"Hey Dad," she said, smiling a little as she sat down on the couch to have a conversation with her father.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" he asked, voice hinting with some concern on the other end of the line.

"Oh no, I just laid Stella down for a nap," she replied, pulling her legs up to sit on the couch comfortably.

"I didn't wake her, did I?" Her father had been to see Stella once since she was born, giving her and Booth some space as new parents instead of hovering like most grandparents would. She loved that about her dad.

"No, actually she is still sound asleep," she said, chuckling a little. "I am fairly certain she is a heavy sleeper like her father." Booth hardly ever woke up for big thunderstorms or chaotic things like that, but he could hear a pin drop on the other side of the room if he was anxious or on alert. Years of military training had taught him that.

"Ah, well you were a very good sleeper yourself Tempe," her dad retorted, chuckling a little bit. "Your mother and I would put you down at night and you'd fall right to sleep. You were sleeping through the night by six weeks old."

Brennan laughed a little. "Well I don't think my daughter will follow that pattern," she said. "If anything, it'll be months before she sleeps through the night at all. She is awake every two hours as it is."

Max Keenan laughed on the other end. "Now that sounds like Russ," he said. "Your brother was a little hell raiser from the beginning. Never slept a wink the first week he was home from the hospital...or so it felt like."

"Russ has always been more of a troublemaker than me," she agreed, smiling quietly to herself as she thought of the brother she adored and worshipped growing up. Russ always made sure that people knew she was his little sister, even if she was shy and awkward in school.

"So, I was wondering if it might be alright if I came by a little later this afternoon?" her father asked.

"Of course," she said happily. "I know you've been wanting to see Stella and I would never deny her grandfather any time with his granddaughter. She should be awake in a couple hours if you'd like to come by. I'm still on maternity leave for another three weeks."

"That sounds perfect Tempe," her father agreed. "I'll be there in a few hours to see both of my favorite girls."

Brennan smiled and hung up the phone, putting it down on the couch before leaning over to check on Stella. Her daughter was fast asleep with her hands by her face, curled into little fists. She had slept like that since the day she was born, which was one of the sweetest things she had ever seen. It reminded her a little of Booth when he slept, at least in the sense that they both had the same calm, serene look on their faces when they were sleeping. Stella was the epitome of perfection in her mind, perfectly formed and blended of her genetics and Booth's. Nothing was more beautiful to her than her own child, even if it was a little bit biased.

A couple hours later, right on time, her father came knocking at the door. Brennan came to open it, embracing her father and smiling as she let him in. It was always nice to see the man now that he was back in her life and she had forgiven him for leaving her when she was fifteen. He was a con-man, but he was also her father and she couldn't help but love him. Max had never done anything but love his family and try to protect them, plus he loved his granddaughter. And she would never deny him the opportunity to get to know Stella.

"How are you doing Tempe?" he asked as he came in and sat down.

Brennan came and sat down by her father, smiling as she realized how wonderful this really was. "I'm doing really well Dad," she replied. "It's been almost a month since Stella was born, so I feel less sore. But still tired." The exhaustion of being a new mother wasn't lost on Brennan herself since Stella was still up every two to three hours.

"That'll pass though as she gets older," he said, chuckling a little. "Once she starts sleeping through the night, you'll wonder how you ever survived on so little sleep."

Brennan smiled and peeked into the bassinet before gently lifting her daughter out. Stella stirred only momentarily before settling back down in her arms. "She is a sound sleeper when she does sleep though," she said, looking down at her daughter.

"She is gorgeous," Max said, peering into the blanket at his grandchild. "Looks more and more like you every day I see her."

"Booth thinks so as well," she said proudly. "But I think she looks more like Mom than me. They have the same hands." Brennan remembered how gentle and loving her mother's hands had been when she was a child. Always guiding her and teaching her when she was young. They were the same hands that picked her up when she fell off her bike or treated her wounds when she would fall and get cuts on her knees.

"Your mother would be so proud of you Tempe." Max beamed at his daughter and granddaughter with love and adoration. "She always worried about you and wanted to make sure that you had the best opprotunities in life, just like we worried for Russ too. When you were in pre-school, she knew you would be a genius just by how developed your language skills were. She never doubted for one minute that you would make yourself into something."

Brennan smiled softly, thinking about how much she missed her mother now that she was a mom herself. She wished that she had been around to ask for advice about things for Stella. But in the end, she found confidence in knowing that her mom would have been proud of her. "I think Stella is going to be very intelligent as she grows older as well," she replied. "But I hope for her sake that she has better social skills, like her father, rather than mine."

Max scoffed. "Your social skills are perfectly fine. And even if she turns out more like you, who says that is bad? You're a wonderful person and more importantly, my daughter. That makes you beautiful and special."

"I just want the best for her," she said, looking to her father. "And I want her to make friends easier than I did."

"She will honey. And you'll see...when she's older, she will amaze us all."

"Would you like to hold her?" Brennan asked, motioning for her father to take the baby in her arms. "She won't wake if you pick her up since she's sound asleep."

Max nodded and gently lifted his granddaughter into his arms, staring at the most perfect being in the world. Stella slept happily in his arms. "Now this is something worth everything. You are the best little granddaughter a papa could ask for."

Brennan grinned and looked on lovingly at her father and daughter bonding. It was one of the most amazing experiences about becoming a mother that she had felt so far. The love was there, without question, and she didn't understand that. Nor did she question it. Years ago, she would have thought she'd wind up alone since she didn't believe in relationships or commitment. But now she and Booth were together, they had a daughter and Booth's son Parker, her brother and his family, her father, and everyone at the Jeffersonian that they worked with. Nothing felt more right or perfect than this.

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><p><strong>AN: SORRY for the long absence. I had to finish out a semester of school and then my laptop went down with a really bad virus! But here is another chapter. Please review to let me know what you think! More to come soon. xoxo**


	29. Happy Birthday Stella

**A/N: I am really sorry to spring this on you, but this will be the final chapter of this story. I have been writing this lovely piece since May of last year and I feel like our journey is complete for this story. I just wanted to thank you all so very much from the bottom of my heart for following this, reviewing, and being faithful readers even when I didn't always update as frequently as I would have liked. Please accept this last chapter as my thank you to all of you for everything you've done for me as the writer. I love you all. And look for more Bones stories in the future!**

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><p>One year. Fifty-two weeks. Three hundred and sixty five days. Eight thousand, seven hundred and sixty hours.<p>

Temperance Brennan had been a mother for one full year now. And that year had been full of changes. Stella had been growing so quickly since her birth and was now crawling everywhere and standing up on her own, not yet brave enough to take her first steps. Her first word had been at five months, when she yelled "Mama" from her crib after waking up to find herself alone in her nursery. She had a head full of dark curls, making her look more like her father, but still retained her piercing blue eyes that connected her so closely to Brennan herself. She also had Booth's smile and her hands, which she herself had inherited from her own mother. Over all, Stella Christine Booth was one of the most strikingly beautiful toddlers that ever had been born. But Brennan might have been a bit biased because she was her own child. But then again, most mothers were biased toward their own children and thought they were the most wonderful thing in the world. Angela certainly seemed so with her own son, Michael, who was almost two now.

The last year had brought many changes to her relationship with Booth as well. They had moved in together during her pregnancy, but now were living as a family unit. Waking up each morning and going to sleep every night next to her partner was one of the most wonderful feelings in the world to Brennan. She had never thought that a domestic life shared with someone else could be fulfilling, until she and Booth started that life together. He understood her in ways that no one else did and pushed her boundaries and comfort zones to make her grow. While he had done that for her, she had given him the family life he had always wanted, but in their own fashion. They were no ordinary couple, but then again they never had been ordinary from the start.

Leaning over her crib, she watched her daughter sleep on the morning of her first birthday, thinking about the day her daughter came into the world. It had been New Year's Eve when she had gone into labor at the party with their friends and family present. But she didn't give birth until the next morning at nearly six in the morning. Stella was brought into the world as the sounds of her and Booth's song, _Hot Blooded_, played over the stereo. An appropriate entrace for their child. That was the day she became a mother...when she looked into the eyes of her precious daughter. Now her little girl was a year old and she couldn't believe time had passed so quickly. The year had been peppered with family, growth, and change. Parker slipped into his role as a big brother easier than they expected and now he was a constant around their home almost every weekend now. And she and Booth had transitioned from partners to lovers to parents, but not without their own bumps along the way. Though they didn't agree on everything when it came to raising their daughter, they did agree that she deserved the best.

Lifting Stella out of her crib, she cradled her child close to her, letting her head rest on her shoulder while she kissed her forehead. The baby stayed asleep, comforted by her mother's embrace as Brennan walked across the room and sat in the rocking chair. There would be a birthday party later, thrown by Angela. Everyone they knew would be attending, including the children of their friends. Everyone would sing "Happy Birthday" to Stella and there would be cake, presents, and lots of excitement. But right now, Brennan wanted a few quiet moments to herself with her daughter on her first birthday. Holding her close, she breathed in the scent of Stella's baby shampoo and remembered what it was like to hold her for the first time. How wonderfully terrifying it felt and how she had been scared of what she would do as a mother. But now she felt nothing but confidence and love for her child.

"I love you Stella," she whispered. "Happy first birthday."

Her little one stirred for a moment, seemingly awakening to her mother's voice, but lulled back to sleep in the quiet of the morning. Stella had always been a sound sleeper after she started sleeping through the nights, which she and Booth were thankful for once they resumed having intercourse after she had been cleared at six weeks post-birth. Laughing a little as Stella started to snore, she brushed back some of her daughter's curls, running her finger along her chubby little cheek just as she had done from the moment Stella was born. The silver of her dolphin ring caught her eye and she looked at it before glancing at her child.

"One day, when you're old enough, I'll tell you about your Grandma Christine...my mom," she said softly. Talking to her daughter like she was an adult was something Brennan had done since she was born. It helped with vocabulary skills and language development. "And one day, this ring will be yours to keep...to remind you of her and of me. I would like to think she would have spoiled you like your grandfather does."

Max Keenan was the epitome of a grandfather to Stella as he spoiled her rotten with gifts and affection every time he came to visit. Booth's grandfather was the same way, so Stella was lucky with the family she had, which was more than Brennan had ever been given growing up after her parents left. The last thing she had ever wanted was to bring a child into the world without giving him or her a family to grow up in. Stella had a wonderful and loving family, including the extension of their close friends. That was something she had hoped to give her own children and had.

Holding Stella close, Brennan realized how happy she was in her life. She had a family, friends, and a career she was proud of. Booth was a wonderful man and the most amazing father to both Parker and Stella, but he was also the best partner and boyfriend she'd ever had. And she had the life she never once thought she'd have. Looking down at Stella, she smiled and kissed her nose softly. This was perfection.


End file.
